The Blue Sapphire of Seth
by Jude Rigby
Summary: SG-1 travels to a planet where one of the team is captured by a man called 'The Ruler.' SD pairing. Completely rewritten and rating changed! COMPLETED!
1. The Sapphire

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance  
Rating: M for violence, language, mention of rape and sexual situations  
Spoilers: Pretty much all the season up to the episode _Space Race_ in Season 7, though if I named the episodes I mention (in passing usually) I'd be here for a while :) And this is a definite AU.  
Season: This starts out about 5 months after the start of Season 7 and Daniel's descending, I don't know the timeline of the show exactly, but at this point Daniel's got his memories back.  
Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else belongs to those who created the show, MGM etc. etc.

A/N: This is my first Stargate fic and I wrote the first version about 4 or 5 years ago. I never got the whole thing written out since I soon became dissatisfied with what I had down. But lately I got back into Stargate and I decided, after reading some awesome S/D fics, that I would come back and rewrite this totally. It's all finished, and though it might not be that good, I tried my best with it. Also, I'm reacquainting myself with the show, so if anyone's out of character that's why, but again, I tried my best and really this was written for fun and to contribute to the S/D fics there are here. I would greatly, greatly appreciate any reviews, but please no flames or criticism since as I've said this isn't perfect!

Chapter One  
The Sapphire

Daniel Jackson arrived at his office at the SGC early to finish up a translation for SG-13 before he had to go to the briefing room for his next mission with the rest of SG-1. He searched through a folder on top of a stack of papers on his desk, finding what he needed just as the captain from SG-13 walked in.

"Finished that translation?" the man, Captain Boggs asked, seeing Daniel reading a paper inside the file he was holding.

"Right here, the symbols turned out to be a derivative of Ancient Sumerian," Daniel answered, handing the man the file. "Nothing really about the Gou'ald but what I managed to read from the photographs you brought back there were people on the planet that were from Earth."

"Was there anything about what happened to them?" the captain asked interestedly.

"From what I translated there was an illness that killed them all off over a period of fifty years; one hundred years ago," Daniel replied. "The last symbols in the temple you found were roughly carved, so I'm guessing the carver was sick too when he completed the last symbols."

"Well, at least they weren't enslaved by Gou'ald," the captain said, frowning. He shook his head and said, "Well, thanks Doctor Jackson, this'll help me get my report done quicker now that I know what happened on P3E-331."

"You're welcome Captain," Daniel said, straightening up his papers. He heard the captain call a goodbye and looked up to see him leaving. By then his desk was relatively neat and he looked at his watch to see how much time he had until the briefing. There was still a half hour left so he decided to grab a cup of coffee and see if Sam was in her lab yet.

* * *

Major Samantha Carter was in her lab, looking at pictures of a device that SG-10 had found on their last mission. It had turned out to be a scanner that was able to record writing and project it as a hologram. She hadn't had a chance to work on it yet as it was still on the planet it had been found, but she was hoping that when she returned from the mission SG-1 had that day it would be at the SGC. SG-10 would try to bring it back to Earth after they negotiated a treaty with the people of the planet.

Setting down the pictures, she stood up and went over to a file next to another device that had been found by SG-19. She had finished her analysis and the file contained her findings on it which she needed to turn in to General Hammond. She heard someone approaching, after she'd picked up the file, and she turned quickly which caused some of the loose papers in it to fall to the floor.

"Damn," Sam swore under her breath. She knelt down and started to pick the papers up, having to read them before she placed them in their proper order in the file, which took time.

As she was doing that, the person she'd heard walking entered the lab and spoke. "Morning Sam, having a little trouble?" Daniel asked when he saw what she was doing. He set down the two cups of coffee he had on the nearest flat surface and hurried over to help her.

"Thanks," Same said, "I must be getting clumsy. I'll be glad to have finished with this retinal scanning device from P6A-361."

"I thought you were done," Daniel said, grabbing two papers out of Sam's reach.

"Not until this gets to Hammond," Sam said. She reached out to pick up the last piece of paper just as Daniel did. Their hands brushed together and she was taken aback at the sudden shock of their touch. She glanced up at Daniel and felt her cheeks burn as he quickly pulled his hand away, handing her the paper. "Thanks again," she said, keeping her surprise under control. She stood up with him and walked over to the counter to set the file down.

"I'd better make sure I'm set for our mission," Daniel said a little lamely as he picked up the coffee he'd brought in. "I don't want to step through the 'gate and realized I left behind my field journal."

Sam nodded and took the cup of coffee he held out to her, being careful to avoid his fingers around it. "Thanks for the coffee too," she said before he nodded and then left. Alone, she looked down at her file, wondering what had just happened.

Never had she been so affected by Daniel's touch before he had returned. She had always felt a small flutter of something she never could name when they had hugged before, but touching his hand that feeling had been stronger. After thinking for a moment, she realized that she knew what that shock was and why she felt it. But as she looked at her watch for a distraction she pushed it away, leaving her lab to hurry to the briefing room.

As Sam was thinking about Daniel, the linguist was in turn thinking of her. He wasn't all that surprised at his reaction to the brush of Sam's skin against his. The same thing had been going on since he'd regained his memories after descending from the Ancients. His regard and emotions for his friend had changed considerably. He let out a soft sigh as he recalled his reaction when he first saw her on Vis Uban, where SG-1 had found him, and the dreams that had haunted him ever since then. He was wandering the same floor as his office but he didn't really need to go to it as he'd been packed for the mission since the night before. He was so deep in thought as he walked down the hall, thinking about Sam, that he nearly ran into someone coming out of his office.

"I am sorry Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said as Daniel halted abruptly in front of him. "I was searching for you; Colonel O'Neill is on his way to the briefing room. He asked that I find you."

"Oh, am I late?" Daniel said, surprised as he checked the time. He still had five minutes left, so he said to the Jaffa, "We'd better get going." And he and Teal'c started to walk to the elevator.

"You are well Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked suddenly. When the archeologist looked at him in confusion he continued with, "You were deep in thought."

"I'm… okay, I was just thinking about… something," Daniel said, hoping his voice didn't betray that he was embarrassed about who was thinking about. He was pleased when Teal'c said nothing in response to that and they entered the elevator. He remembered Sam's face when their hands had brushed together suddenly, and remembered his dream from the night before. Before he could get too deep into it though, the car stopped and he and Teal'c went into the briefing room. He was a little surprised to see Sam there already, but was able to keep himself from seeming flustered and he sat down next to Sam after Teal'c had taken the seat next to Jack on the other side of the table.

"Alright SG-1, your mission today is to the planet designated P7X-617," Hammond said once Daniel and Teal'c were seated. "We've sent the MALP on through and everything checks out. Oxygen levels are normal, there are no toxins or other harmful substances in the air, and the temperature recorded was around seventy five degrees."

"Any video sir?" Jack asked.

"Yes, but the MALP couldn't go any further than about fifty feet in front of the Stargate," Hammond replied, turning to a television that was to his left. "There appears to be a ring of stones surrounding it."

Almost immediately, Jack and Sam looked over at Daniel, who straightened a little. "Um, it could be a sign that the ring is taboo, forbidden to any of the natives there. Or maybe it's seen as a portal for the gods… a religious symbol. I won't know for certain what those stones are for until I see them."

By then the footage from the MALP was showing on the television and SG-1 watched the camera go around 360 degrees, stopping after to show that the machine was in a forest and outside the trees in the distance was a large dune with reddish sand.

"SG-1, your mission is to make contact with any natives, see if they've had any trouble with the Gou'ald and also if they're willing to enter into a treaty with Earth," Hammond said once the footage had ended. "You'll report to me in twenty-four hours, in case any villages are placed far from the Stargate. You depart in a half-hour, dismissed."

* * *

A half hour after the briefing, Jack, Teal'c, Sam and Daniel were standing at the bottom of the ramp to the Stargate. Five of the chevrons had been locked and the team was waiting for the last two. Once the wormhole had opened, Jack and Teal'c walked on either side of the front of the FRED, Sam and Daniel behind them. They walked up the ramp and stepped through the event horizon, instantly transported. Coming out on the other side, they came out into a small clearing that was filled with sunshine and they walked down the ramp from the Stargate as it soon turned off.

"Sylvan glen, nice," Jack said. "Alright, we gotta get out of this forest; find a high spot if possible to see where the nearest village or city is." He glanced around the clearing, trying to peer through the darker shadows of the forest to see which way to go.

"This way," Daniel said suddenly, stepping ahead of the colonel. While Jack had been speaking, Daniel had looked at the ring of large rocks that surrounded the Stargate. He noticed that they all looked similar but one pointing to the 'gate's right was painted with a single red line and another directly across from that rock on the other side of the circle was painted with a blue line. He'd pointed in the direction of the blue rock when the others looked at him.

"So there's life at least, or there was recently," Jack said as the team walked in the direction Daniel had indicated. "Paint on those stones looks pretty fresh."

"Looks like this is a sort of directional for travelers to head the right way," Daniel said as they stopped to step over the stones and he took the chance to look at the blue line closer. "Whatever's in the opposite direction-"

"Is forbidden," Sam cut in quickly. "There might be a temple or other building or even-"

"A burial ground," Daniel finished for her. "So then this red would signify evil and the need to stay away from whatever it is."

"Are you guys finished with your mind meld?" Jack asked, looking at them with no expression on his face. After six years, the colonel was used to the intellectual connection between the scientists under his command. Still, it sometimes amazed him how well the two worked together. "If you are then let's please move on." And with that he headed down the cleared path in the direction the blue rock pointed, the rest of the team filing behind him.

Last in line, Daniel kept his finger on the trigger of his P-90, but he also looked around them to see if there were any signs of life. The forest was clear of human influence besides the path though; there was only animal life. He saw small, deer like creatures and heard the sound of birds singing all around. His eyes were sweeping from the forest to Sam in front of him as they got closer to the dune ahead when he noticed something sparkling a few feet to the right of the dirt path. "Jack, wait," he called, already stopping and stepping into the foliage to where the sparkle was.

"What is it?" Sam asked as Jack and Teal'c remained where they were. She stood at the edge of the path, watching as Daniel kneeled in front of a large tree. She had a sudden eerie feeling as the birds stopped chirping; everything had gone silent; and she had to repress a shudder.

Not answering, Daniel grabbed the end of the object and gently pulled on it, surprised when it easily moved from the dirt covering half of it. He held it up in his hand, a little shocked at what it was.

The object was a blue stone but it looked more like a sapphire. It was six to seven inches long, about two inches in width and similar in shape to an egg. While the color was a rich, dark blue, Daniel could see that the core of the gemstone was changing hue, shifting visibly. Something seemed to surround him then, a slight pressure around his body that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. But it quickly passed and he stood up to return to his team.

"You okay?" Sam asked once Daniel had reached her. The sounds of wildlife had started up again so she felt less anxious, but she could sense that Daniel was slightly troubled. "What did you find?"

Without a word, Daniel held out the sapphire stone to her, wondering if she'd feel the same thing he had after looking into its core.

Taking it, Sam was a little startled to feel the sapphire was warm though Daniel hadn't been holding it that long; and she was holding the side that had been face up in his palm. Staring into the deep blue, she noticed there was something strange with the center and she brought it up closer to her eyes to see what it was. Almost instantly, she felt as if the air around her was growing heavier and she felt her skin break into bumps, hairs prickling as if she were surrounded by electricity. Before she could really take in the atmospheric change though, the center of the gemstone flashed brightly and it glowed for a moment. "It's… it's beautiful," she said after a few minutes, finally shaking herself as the stone looked normal handing it back to Daniel.

A little surprised to see the same thing that had happened to him happen to Sam, Daniel merely nodded and looked down at the sapphire. He was startled when he noticed that the core of it was glowing a soft blue, and looking up at Sam, he saw it was the same color of her eyes and he sucked in a breath, thinking suddenly they really were a beautiful hue.

"Hey, what's the hold up?" Jack called back to the two impatiently. "This isn't an ice cream social."

"Sorry sir," Sam said as she and Daniel caught up with the colonel and Teal'c. "Daniel found a stone."

"Nice, but we're here for reasons other than a geological expedition," Jack replied. "Let's keep moving." And with that he continued down the path, Teal'c following a moment later after glancing at the two scientists.

The team exited the forest in only a few minutes, coming out to the base of a tall dune. They stood there for a moment, looking up before the other three looked over at Jack; though Teal'c merely shifted his eyes toward the colonel. Without a word, Jack stepped forward and started to climb, Teal'c close behind him.

"Sir, shouldn't we try to go around?" Sam asked as Daniel started to walk after the others.

Pausing where he was Jack turned and said, "We need the height Carter. It's only sand so if you slip it won't hurt."

Sam rolled her eyes and looked at Daniel who was waiting at the base just ahead of her. She smiled when he shrugged slightly and she hurried forward. "Climbing up this tall of a dune of slippery sand is not my idea of fun," she said after she had put the strap of her P-90 over her shoulder and they began to ascend.

"Yeah, well, I think we're lucky it's not any higher," Daniel said "I've climbed a few dunes higher than this before, and it just gets harder as you go higher than this."

Nodding, since she was trying to keep her footing in the slipping sand, Sam raised her foot and put it down, not noticing that there was a loose patch under it. As soon as she tried to step up again, the sand gave way and she gave a short cry of surprise, expecting to tumble down the side. But before that happened, she felt a hand grab hers, and another hand grab her arm, holding her up. "Thanks," she said gratefully as Daniel helped her regain her balance.

"You okay?" Daniel asked, looking concerned and inwardly trying to ignore the sudden shock from their hands clasping each other.

"I'm fine," Sam said quickly, pushing aside the tingling sensation in her hand that Daniel was still holding. She slipped her hand from his grasp and continued up, this time more cautious about where she stepped.

Daniel looked down at his hand that had held Sam's for a moment. Shaking himself, he continued climbing; unaware that the stone he'd placed in his pocket was slightly shaking, setting off a low hum that silenced the animas in the forest behind him.

By the time Daniel had reached the top of the dune the others were there already, Jack and Sam looking around with binoculars. "Anything?" Daniel asked, standing next to the colonel and getting his binoculars out, looking to the southwest of the dune.

"Looks like there are people here," Jack said. "A city and a pretty good sized one too."

"It looks like an ancient city in Egypt," Sam commented. "Gou'ald may be here."

"I see what's taboo, or marked as it at the Stargate," Daniel said suddenly. He'd looked at the city and then remembered the red striped rock and turned in the direction it'd been in, to the north of the dune.

Turning, Sam raised her binoculars back to her eyes and saw what Daniel was looking at. "A palace," she said in surprise.

"It does not look like one of Gou'ald design," Teal'c said, looking at the palace as well. "Colonel O'Neill," he said then as he looked back to the south. "It seems that we will see if there are Gou'ald on this world."

The others turned back to where Teal'c was looking as he spoke. There was a large group of people riding on what seemed to be horses approaching them.

Looking through his binoculars, Daniel saw that the group consisted of just men, but there were no weapons that he could discern. As they neared, he was able to determine their features. There was a mixture of olive and paler complexions, dark and honey colored hair. He was able to tell quickly that they were a mix of Grecian, Judean and Egyptian characteristics; the fact that they were blended surprising him.

"Okay, you're up Daniel, time to go make nice with the natives," Jack said, breaking into the linguist's thoughts. And with that he led his team down the gentle slope of the other side of the dune to meet the nearing group of men.


	2. The Storm

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: The native language here I made up myself, but I used translators for Aramaic, Greek and Ancient Egyptian though the words I used are more Aramaic and Greek with a few Egyptian sprinkled here and there. Of course, all three languages have their own writing, so what I have in this story is the Latin text of those words. And a quick translation of what I have in this chapter:  
-_ B'man ayt esi, hao ech at ayoa oi ora_ Who are you, that has come through the ring

A/N #2: Philae is a real place on earth; it's an island on the Nile River in Egypt.

A/N #3: Thanks so much for the reviews skullycandy12 and Amphytion. I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think. And just to set the record straight, this is a pure Daniel/Sam ship fic as it says in the summary!

A/N #4: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Two  
The Storm

The team stood at the bottom of the dune standing in a line, all of them holding their weapons close as the riders came to a halt ten feet in front of them, all but one of the men peering at the four curiously. The one man not so obviously inquisitive seemed to be the leader, his animal; which appeared to be an Arabian horse with camel-like feet; was taller than the others behind him.

Getting off of his animal, the man strode up to the team, searching for their leader.

Glancing at Jack briefly, Daniel stepped forward when the colonel inclined his head slightly and nodded respectfully. He was about to speak, when the man surprisingly beat him to it.

"_B'man ayt esi, hao ech at ayoa oi ora_?" the man asked in a rich, almost musical, deep voice.

"He asked who we are," Daniel said over his shoulder after a translating in his mind the language that the man was speaking; what he quickly identified as a form of Aramaic mixed with Ancient Greek.

"You speak the same language of the enslavers," the man said suddenly before Daniel could answer his question as he turned his head back.

"It's… we speak English, the language of our world, Earth," Daniel said, surprised. "Do you mean the Gou'ald by 'enslavers'?"

"They were men, and a few women with eyes that would glow," the man replied.

"Are they here still? Or do they ever come back through the Stargate?" Sam asked.

"They have not been on our planet since the time our ancestors were brought here," the man said. "They attempted to return a few years after, but they were driven away by The Ruler."

"The Ruler? You have a king?" Jack asked.

"No, I am the leader of my people," the man said. "I am Thorcamb. The Ruler was a sorcerer who died not too long after the… Gou'ald as you call them, tried to return."

"Except for now," a young man, barely seventeen said from his animal.

"Yes, we are plagued with the soul of him once more," Thorcamb said, looking displeased. "Why have you come to our home? You are here to join The Ruler, or to help us?"

"Neither actually," Jack said. When he saw Daniel shoot him a look he fell silent, seeing that Thorcamb seemed to be disappointed.

"Thorcamb, we haven't come to help," Daniel said as gently as he could. "I am Daniel Jackson, and this is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter and Teal'c. We travel through a Stargate on our planet to explore and to try and find the Gou'ald and when we can find allies or new weapons to help us fight them and to try to learn all we can of people on other worlds. That is why we have come here."

"I see, you have come randomly to find these men with glowing eyes," Thorcamb said. "We have weapons, and I would be happy to ally ourselves with anyone against our ancestors' enslavers. But I cannot undertake such a decision myself; it requires the approval of the council. You are all welcome to come to our city until the matter has been decided."

"We'd be honored," Daniel said quickly. "How far is it to the city?"

"From here, half a day's ride," Thorcamb replied, gesturing to the men behind him. "You will need a mondary, I hope that will not be a problem."

"Yeah, that's fine. We do it all the time," Jack said absently, looking at the four animals that two men were bringing up to them.

"Jack, try not to insult them by lying to them," Daniel said with a small smile as the colonel hoisted himself up on the leather saddle a little awkwardly.

"I know, I just hope these things ride like horses," Jack said as the rest of the team got on the other three animals. "Okay, we're ready to go."

Back on his mondary, Thorcamb nodded and nudged it with his heels, motioning for SG-1 to ride after him. Once they were past the group of men, they turned to ride after their leader behind the team.

As they were riding, Daniel sensed something behind him, as if someone were watching. It was a weird feeling and was making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He turned back and saw the sky behind the dune filling with what looked like reddish-brown smoke. He recognized it as the start of a sandstorm; he'd been through many before; but none had ever produced such an eerie feeling before and it worried him.

"You okay?" Sam asked, riding next to Daniel. She had noticed him turn his head and that he hadn't yet looked forward again. Turning her head in the same direction, she saw the start of the sandstorm, and it was as if she had been plunged into icy water. A chill enveloped her and though she tried to pass it off as a remnant of what had happened in the forest, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Shivering inwardly, she turned back after glancing to see that Daniel had turned his head back as well.

The group rode in silence for half the journey when suddenly Daniel spoke saying, "It's a beautiful planet," to try to ignore the sensation in his body that hadn't gone away in all the time they'd ridden.

"Yes, it has changed though, greatly, since the time of our ancestors," Thorcamb said, nodding to indicate his pleasure at Daniel's statement. "It used to be nothing but desert and sand dunes far taller than even the one you climbed. But the weather changed and now our planet is turning to forest."

"Amazing," Daniel said, a little absently. He was looking out around them and could see that Thorcamb was right. Though there were still sand dunes off to the horizon, they were few and far between as well as the red sand that constituted the dunes. There were more patches of forest like the one the Stargate was in. And supplying the nourishment for those forests were storm clouds. They were patchy though, only falling around the forests and the sand around the edges, green creeping outward from there. Above the group then was a clear cerulean blue sky, two suns shining down on them as they rode over desert sand.

"So where do you think these people were taken from?" Sam asked suddenly while Daniel was looking around.

"Well, the language Thorcamb spoke at first is a derivative of Aramaic," Daniel replied, noticing a patch of forest they were fast approaching. "But by their looks it seems like they're also Greek and Egyptian. It may be the Gou'ald had intended this to be a larger base for new slaves." He frowned and shook his head when he saw out of the corner of his eye that Thorcamb was nearing him.

"You are interested in the history of our people Da'niel?" Thorcamb asked, having heard him speak.

"Yes, it's very fascinating to me, especially since you have a mix of different cultures," Daniel replied.

"Yes, and you are correct in who we are descended from," Thorcamb said, smiling when Daniel looked surprised that he'd overheard him. "When we were first brought here, our ancestors were of three separate tribes according to our historians. The people of the Islands, the people of the Desert and the people of the Blue River. There was a period of unrest and war between these groups after our arrival. The confrontation was over who would rule over us all since our enslavers didn't return immediately. The fighting was fierce and lasted for five seasons until everything was ended."

"How, a treaty between the tribes?" Sam asked, having been listening to the leader.

"No, the leader of the people of the Islands was killed in battle, and soon after the people of the Blue River and the people of the Desert were joined together by the marriage of the leaders' son and daughter. The people of the Islands soon surrendered to the other to groups and negotiations for peace began. Ever since then the people have intermarried and there has been little unrest between us all."

"There's only your city?" Daniel asked.

"No, our people have grown over the years, and it has been necessary to establish other cities around our world," Thorcamb answered. "Where we go to now; Philae; is the first city our ancestors founded."

"How many cities are there in all?" Daniel asked.

"Nine, including Philae," Thorcamb replied. "We have maps of our world and of our cities that I have at the palace. It would give me great honor to show you, to help you learn as much as you wish to know of us, of our world."

"I'd be honored to learn Thorcamb," Daniel said sincerely, nodding his head, knowing that Jack would appreciate knowledge of the outlay of the planet and that there were more people; which meant more allies.

"Good," Thorcamb nodded. By then they'd reached the forest and he stopped his mondary, turning slightly in his saddle. He called out to the men behind him and then dismounted. "We require a rest for our animals before we continue on to the city."

"You know, I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this," Jack said as they followed the leader into the forest and the men followed behind them. "How do we even know that they're taking us into this city? Could be a trap."

"I do not believe so Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c said. "The leader seems eager to become allies with us against the Gou'ald, though they are no longer a threat to this world."

"He's right," Daniel said. "Plus they didn't try to take away our weapons. You shouldn't be so paranoid," he finished with a brief smile.

"Oh for crying out loud, someone has to watch out for us on these missions," Jack replied. He shook his head and looked ahead where Thorcamb had stopped at a large pond. "You're right though Daniel, beautiful planet. If it has good fishing at that ocean we saw to the west it could be paradise."

By then the rest of the men had joined them and all the mondaries were drinking the clear water. It was peaceful and quiet in the forest, the only sound the low chatter of the men surrounding the pond, standing next to their animals. Daniel though was feeling still like someone was watching him, and it abruptly grew stronger; Sam feeling the same sensation too.

Almost instantly, Thorcamb whirled around as the sun seemed to disappear and the mondaries all raised their heads, neighing loudly in agitation, water dripping from their mouths. He shouted to the men just as the sun completely vanished behind a thick wall of sand and wind began to whip through the trees.

"What the hell is this?" Jack asked as the men started to run with their mondaries towards a small path.

"Da'niel, Colonel, we much take shelter!" Thorcamb yelled over the din of the wind and rustling trees. "It is the Ruler!"

Without another word, the SG-1 team took off behind Thorcamb, running as they pulled their mondaries along. Deeper in the foliage they could see that everyone was heading into an underground cave that had a door of tree bark that made it look like part of the tree above it. By then the wind was at a fierce gust and blowing from every direction, making running almost impossible. But Jack managed to get inside first; Teal'c hurrying after some men following the colonel and Daniel was quick to run behind the Jaffa. In the confusion, the three failed to notice that their teammate had fallen behind.

As the colonel had run into the shelter, Sam had heard the muffled sound of someone yelling for help. Though she knew she needed to get to the shelter, she broke off from the others and ran to her right in the direction of the voice.

"Help me! Please, I will be taken!" one of the men was yelling at the top of his lungs. His mondary had ran away from him instead of going to shelter as it had been trained to do and he'd gone after it, unable to let his animal possibly perish or get lost in the storm. When he'd caught up to it, the leather reins were wrapped up in a low tree branch, tangled. He had nothing to cut the thick leather, and he knew they were both doomed unless he left his animal; which he couldn't do. He yelled again though it was hopeless, and was surprised to see a form running to him, more so when he saw it was the woman of the four travelers.

"Wait! Easy!" Sam yelled when the man shouted rapidly in a mix of English and the other native language, something about being taken and The Ruler. "I'll get you out of here!"

"It is not safe! He will take us both! I must free my animal and we must run," the man yelled frantically as the storm strengthened and the sound of breaking branches cracked all around them.

"I'll set him loose and as soon as I do, take him and run back to that shelter!" Sam shouted as she pulled out her knife from its sheath. She held it against the reins and with a quick jerk up they were free. When the man grabbed the mondary and took off at that point she wasn't too far behind. But as they neared the shelter the sand thickened, the reddish grains blocking her view and she lost sight of the native in front of her.

Stopping, Sam felt a moment of fear as she quickly realized she had no idea which way she needed to go, but tried to push that away, not able to afford losing her control to panic. Without the man to guide her she was disoriented and everything around her was covered by swirling red sand. She took a step forward in the direction she'd been going, but the wind blew straight into her, knocking her backwards. A sudden gust pushed her slightly to the right and she yelled, "Hey! Help! Someone help!" on the off chance the native was near and could come back to help her.

Instead of hearing a voice in reply, Sam felt the hairs on her arms stand up and a crackle of electricity sounded behind her. Turning, she nearly screamed when she saw the outline of a hand in a wall of dense sand coming towards her, and she took off, trying to get away though she had no idea what direction she was going. The sand was thick around her and it was all that Sam could do not to run into a tree or branch as they suddenly appeared in her path. Her heart was pounding loud in her chest and ears and she was soon running out of breath; there was only so much farther she could run at that point.

Before she could worry about slowing down and stopping, Sam tripped over a tree root that she hadn't been able to see sticking up from the ground. She fell hard to the dirt around the tree, knocking the wind out of her and as soon as the initial shock from that disappeared, she felt excruciating pain from her ankle. Looking down, she could see that her foot was hanging limply from her leg and felt her mouth grow dry as nausea rushed over her. Trying not to scream, she flipped onto her back and saw that she had run out of time.

The last thing Sam knew before she was engulfed by the storm and unconsciousness was a deep, bellowed, "You are mine!" and the sight of an angry, evil face in the wall of sand rushing to meet her.


	3. Seth

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: The language at the palace is more Aramaic with Ancient Egyptian, only a little Greek, and as usual these words are a literal translation of the languages. A quick translation of what I have in this chapter:  
_- Oi b'moro res na njnu ntk_ The master wishes to see you  
-_ b'yeta_ aura/soul

A/N #2: I know that there was another Seth in the show, but I liked the idea that he was the god of chaos and the desert. Also, though I could have used Set instead of Seth I like the latter better, has more of a ring I think. And there is a spoiler of the episode _Seth_ but it's just one and quick.

A/N #3: Thanks so much for the review KarenD I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #4: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Three  
Seth

As soon as everyone was inside the shelter of the cave, the bark door was slid into place. The men all led their mondaries to the back to allow them to calm down as the noise lessened there.

Daniel was standing with Jack and Teal'c in the middle of the group of men, listening to the howling storm. After a minute he had the feeling that something was wrong. He looked around them and without a word to his teammates, hurried through the others in front of them, wildly searching for Sam. He had thought she was right behind them, so she was likely near the front of the cave. But when he got there, there was no sign of her.

"Jack, Jack we've got a problem," Daniel said, trying to remain calm though inwardly he felt the beginnings of panic.

"What is it? And where's Carter?" Jack asked as he reached where Daniel was standing. He froze when he saw the look on the linguist's face. "She was right behind us," he said, and he followed Daniel to the front.

"I know, but she's not here," Daniel said. "Thorcamb, we need to go out. As soon as the storm is over we need to go out."

Is there someone missing?" Thorcamb asked, walking through the crowd of men to the rest of SG-1.

"The woman of our group, Major Carter, she's not here," Daniel said quickly.

"Moran is not here either my lord," a man suddenly said, running out of a group of men to Daniel and Thorcamb.

"May Mitha protect them both," Thorcamb whispered, his face going pale. "We can do nothing until the storm has ended, when we are safe from The Ruler."

The men grew silent then, tense with concern about their fellow man outside. The men of SG-1 were also quiet, waiting for the noise of the storm to subside.

Daniel found an anxious feeling in the center of his chest was growing with every passing moment. It had been some time since he had had to worry about Sam on a mission. It made him recall how his feelings for his teammate had changed since he had returned from the Ancients. But it wasn't a good time to think about that and he began to pace around, needing something to distract him.

"You okay Daniel?" Jack asked, surprised to see his friend pacing. It wasn't exactly a habit with him and he wondered why he was doing it. "I'm sure Carter's fine out there. She's got survivalist training," he said, quickly realizing that the archeologist's concern had to do with their missing teammate.

"Maybe," Daniel said, his voice tense as he walked back across the cave. He heard a loud groan outside and he froze instantly, looking above him. At the same moment he could feel his pocket growing warm and he reached inside, touching the sapphire stone there. As soon as he had done so, the roaring outside ended immediately and he looked at Thorcamb.

"We may leave, and search for our comrades," Thorcamb said. "Quickly, open the seal!"

Five men ran to the bark and slid it aside; revealing that the sky was absolutely clear and there wasn't a trace of dust in the air though only a minute or two had passed since the storm had ended.

Daniel was the first one out of the cave behind Thorcamb, and his heart sank when he didn't see any sign of Sam.

"My lord, my lord!" a voice said suddenly as a man burst into the clearing at the entrance of the cave.

"Moran! You are still here," Thorcamb said, sounding amazed.

"I was passed over. But the woman traveler, where is she? She saved my life and my animal as well, I must thank her," the man said eagerly, looking both intensely relieved and a little shell-shocked at the same time.

"She did not arrive at the shelter," Thorcamb said. He looked at the three members of SG-1, who had begun to walk through the forest as soon as he'd called out the man's name. "It does not bode well," he said in a low voice. "She has been chosen."

"Sam! Sam are you okay?" Daniel yelled as he walked through the foliage, searching frantically from side to side.

"Carter? If you can hear me, make some kind of noise so we can find you," Jack was saying as he searched in another part of the forest. He'd already tried Sam on her radio; while they were still in the cave; but there had been no response.

"Colonel O'Neill, I have found something," Teal'c called out from where he was, about twenty feet away from Jack.

"Daniel, Teal'c's found something," Jack called. When the archeologist reached him a moment later he led the way to where Teal'c was waiting for them. "What'd you find?"

"These items belong to Major Carter," Teal'c said in a grim tone of voice, holding Sam's pack and rifle.

"Oh god, she's gone," Daniel breathed when he saw them.

"We need to talk to Thorcamb back there," Jack said, sounding a little angry. "Teal'c, bring those with you, Carter'll need them when she gets back." And with that he turned to walk back to Thorcamb and the natives who were waiting just outside the cave still.

"Your friend is gone?" Thorcamb asked slowly, seeing the angry expression on Jack's face and the concerned one on Daniel's. When the latter nodded he sighed and said, "I am so very sorry Da'niel. She has been kidnapped by The Ruler and taken to his palace to the north."

"Good, we just need to get word to Hammond, get some reinforcements-" Jack began to say when he was interrupted by Thorcamb who'd gone pale at his words.

"Even if you were able to bring a great army here, getting into the palace is impossible," the leader said. "The Ruler has powers that would defeat you, kill you in an instant."

"Then what _can_ we do?" Daniel asked, knowing the man was serious though Jack looked doubtful.

"The Ruler has taken your friend specifically," Thorcamb replied. "From what Moran has told us about the storm. He desires something from you, and he will contact us at Philae when he is ready to do so."

"I really don't like this," Jack muttered.

"It seems it's our only option right now Jack," Daniel said, turning to him. "We can't risk making The Ruler angry and Sam getting hurt as a result."

"Alright, but if he doesn't contact us soon we're contacting the SGC," Jack said.

"You will journey with us to Philae?" Thorcamb asked when Daniel nodded reluctantly to Jack.

"Yeah, we'll ride along," Jack replied as the linguist looked in the direction of the palace.

With that all the men and SG-1 mounted their mondaries, one man holding Sam's animal. They rode away once everyone was ready and hurried to the southwest. As they were riding out of the forest and into the desert, Daniel looked back, hoping inwardly that Sam would be okay and that she would return safely.

* * *

Blinking her eyes and feeing a little groggy, Sam half expected to find herself on the forest floor but almost immediately she knew she wasn't. She slowly sat up and saw that she was on a bed, and that bed was inside a large room. Looking around, she noticed that the walls were made of reddish stone, from the sand of the planet, and there were murals on each one. The paintings reminded her of Ancient Egyptian ones, but the figures were more three-dimensional. There was furniture spread around the room, a mix of Greek and Egyptian styles she had seen before from Daniel's archeology books. They were all made of either wood or stone, and some were painted in gold edging that gleamed in the rays from the suns that shone into the room. Opposite the bed was an opening to a balcony, and she guessed it faced west as she could see the suns were going down outside.

After taking in her surroundings Sam felt a little stronger as the grogginess faded away slowly. She then suddenly realized she needed to see where she was exactly. It was her hope she was in the city she'd seen with her teammates, but as she heard the rattle of chains, her heart sank. Raising her hands from where they were under the linen that was covering her she saw manacles around her wrists, two chains attached to a thick metal ring that was in the center of the room.

Pushing down the white linen sheet, Sam saw she was no longer in her fatigues. At some point she had been changed and she was now wearing a dark blue dress that felt like silk. It looked similar to a Greek chiton, though it wasn't pinned at her shoulders or had a fold at the waist; it flowed smoothly to her feet. And it seemed to have been made exactly for her. Standing up next to the bed, she remembered her broken ankle and lifted the silk to check her foot. Amazingly there was no sign of a break and when she gently put her weight on it, there was no pain and she was able to walk to the balcony. The chiton flowed around her legs, making a quiet swishing sound like water that she heard over the sound of the chains.

"At least it's an improvement over that dress on Simarka," Sam said to herself bitterly as she looked out the balcony and saw she was in the middle of the desert, not a city. She looked down at the manacles around her wrists. They were made of a metal that looked similar to steel but it shimmered gold when she turned her wrists back and forth. The chains were attached to round holes protruding from the outsides of each manacle, and the holes seemed to be welded shut with the chain link attached to them. Unless she had a welder or bolt cutter, she wasn't going to be able to get free.

"God I'm in trouble," Sam said out loud, tugging at the chains for a second.

At that moment, the huge double doors across from the balcony where she was standing flew open and she whirled around to see two tall men holding short staff weapons. With the door open, she was tempted to make a run for it but seeing the weapons Sam decided to stay put for the moment.

One of the men, obviously a guard, leveled his weapon at her while the other released the right chain from the ring in the middle of the room, and then released the left. He held the chains in one hand and his weapon in the other. "_Oi b'moro res na njnu ntk_," he said gruffly in a language that Sam noticed seemed similar to the native language Thorcamb had spoken earlier. He repeated it and when she didn't react he pulled the chains so she staggered towards the door.

Walking ahead of the two men, Sam looked around them, trying to find a way out when she had a chance to escape. But the halls seemed to go nowhere, doorways cut into the red rock nearly invisible as she passed them. The guards knew where they were going though and after stepping down a flight of stairs they entered a huge room.

Two thrones at the other end of it clearly indicated what it was for. On the walls were more murals, but the wall without any doorways or windows cut into it had a painting of two people which Sam glanced at for a moment before she shifted her gaze to what looked like a well just under the mural. Other than that, there was nothing else adorning the room.

The guards let Sam go then, and retreated to the doorway they'd entered from, weapons at the ready. She glanced behind her at them and then looked back at the mural that had caught her attention before. Looking closer at it she saw that the two figures were a man and a woman. The woman was wearing a white chiton similar to Sam's in design but with numerous folds and a lot more fabric. The woman had a dark blue heart situated above where her own was, and her right fingers were touching it reverently. The man was wearing white robes, tunic and trousers; what the younger men of Thorcamb's riding group had worn as well; though more elaborate in style. Above his heart was another heart in a pale blue shade; he was touching it the same way the woman was touching hers. In between the two; who standing in a garden where dark and pale blue flowers were growing; was a wood staff and nestled at the top was a glowing sapphire-like stone. While Sam was surprised at the sapphire, what disturbed her more was the fact that the man and the woman both looked saddened, as if they were doomed together; though Sam had no idea what had made her think that.

The sudden sensation that someone was behind her a second later made Sam whirl around as fast as she could. She nearly gasped in surprise when she saw a man was standing there. "Who are you?" she asked, unsettled by his abrupt appearance, literally out of nowhere.

"You have heard me called 'The Ruler' Samantha Carter," the man replied, his voice heavily accented. "But I am named Seth."

"How did you know my name?" Sam asked, taking a step away from him and hoping that he wasn't the same as the Gou'ald Seth that SG-1 had tangled with on Earth. More importantly that he didn't have the power to make her subservient to him as the other Seth had done with her, Daniel and Jack.

"There is much I know Samantha," Seth said, an evil smile spreading over his face. "And much I can do." He waved his hand in the air, and the manacles on Sam's wrists snapped open easily.

Surprised, Sam only took a moment to discard the metal cuffs before she turned towards the door; guards gone from their posts. But before she could even get halfway there her body froze in mid-step and she was immobile.

"Escape is quite impossible," Seth said, walking to her. "As I said, I can do a number of things. You've seen my powers already."

Sam felt her body relax suddenly, falling to the floor before she could take control of her muscles and hurriedly she got to her feet. She was tempted to try to run again, but seeing as the man had some sort of technology; something similar to a force field she thought; it would be futile. "What do you want with me?" she asked a little angrily, knowing that she would have to stay put for a while and not happy about it.

The same evil smile from before reappeared on Seth's face at the question. He saw Sam shudder slightly, but it didn't bother him. He knew that soon this woman's disgust would turn into a more favorable emotion and she would be his completely. He had no doubt about this, he was aware of the power of his looks. He was tall, his skin golden-brown which signaled his decent from the people of the Blue River and like them he had dark, black hair that hung to his shoulders. But what separated him from his Ancient Egyptian ancestry were his eyes. They shifted color every so often, every shade there was and at that moment they were grayish-olive green. He had a strong, chiseled jaw and nose; his clothes made from the finest linen and silk available. He wore a white, knee-length _schenti_, or kilt, and a jeweled loin pendant with markings in symbols similar to hieroglyphs.

"You wish to know why I have taken you?" Seth said finally. "The answer to that is simple. Your… friend," he fairly spat out, his mouth turning down in a frown of disgust. "Daniel Jackson has that which I need. And having you with me here will ensure that I obtain my stone."

Sam tried not to let her surprise show on her face at the mention of the stone, but it was hard. Obviously there was something about the sapphire that Daniel had found, but she couldn't imagine what that was as Seth already seemed to have jewels judging by his gem encrusted loin pendant. "Why take me?" she asked, wondering also why he didn't just take the stone as he already seemed to have technology that was powerful.

"You have seen it, you have touched it already," Seth seemed to almost snarl, stepping closer. "I can feel its energy through your body as we speak," backing Sam into the wall of the mural and leaning his face close to hers. "And because Daniel Jackson is in love with you."

"What?" Sam asked in shock as Seth turned away from her. "You're lying."

"You accuse me of lying?" Seth snapped angrily, turning back to face her. "I wish that I could lie about this, a thought more disgusting and wretched I've never had. But it is truth; he is in love with you." He saw the disbelief still on Sam's face, and he pointed to the well near her. "I will prove it to you since you still doubt." When she hesitated he frowned and motioned to her with his hand. Immediately she came to the other side of the well where he was standing. He reached down then and touched the surface of the water near the top, and then quickly pulled his hand back as the liquid rippled and seemed to grow a deep, dark black before beginning to glow.

Sam's eyes went wide as an image of Daniel appeared on the surface of the water. From the way he was moving in it she guessed that he was still riding with Thorcamb and the rest of SG-1. There was a troubled look on his face, and all around him was a pale blue haze.

"Everyone carries with them this colored mist," Seth said as Sam continued to watch Daniel. "When they are in the love, deeply in love, the color changes to that of their lover's. The color of your mist, your _b'yeta_ is now around Daniel Jackson."

"No," Sam said after a moment taking in the explanation and not quite believing it. "His wife, he still-"

"You are wrong," Seth said sharply. "She was the color red. Yours is surrounding him now, not hers."

"But why, why me, what does this have to do with the fact that he might love me?" Sam asked, sounding a little panicked at the thought that the man was right. When Seth motioned behind her to the wall, she looked at him in confusion. "What does a painting have to do with us?" she asked, getting a little agitated at not getting an answer.

In response, Seth walked over to her and barely brushed his fingertips against Sam's forehead. A grim look on his face as he'd had to hold her in place before she fell unconscious, collapsing to the floor; her decent slowed with a wave of his hand. As he turned away while the guards grabbed her limp body, he knew he would have much work ahead of him if he was going to take the woman as his wife and slave.


	4. The Warrior Princess and the Historian

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: I know the name 'Warrior Princess' might seem a bit weird, but I needed it for this story, there wasn't any other name I could give the character.

A/N #2: Thanks so much for the review Ashleod, please don't shoot since I have the new chapter up! Your review was really nice, I'm glad that you're enjoying this so much. And I hope that you'll be eager to continue to review this. Thanks again!

A/N #3: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Four  
The Warrior Princess and the Historian

It was just after the sunset of the first sun when the remainder of SG-1 and the native men entered Philae. It was surrounded by a large wooden wall that enclosed the entire city, a large gate connected to the road that lead out into the forests and desert outside which the group was riding on. This gate opened for the group and they rode through it and down a wide and long avenue inside.

Looking around, Daniel could see instantly that the city bore a striking similarity to Ancient Athens. The buildings on either side of the road were white washed and were pressed close together. There were painted wooden doors but the windows only had shutters; painted in the same colors as the doors; all open to catch the evening breeze.

Almost as soon as the riders had entered the city, the people on the street stopped and stared at the three men riding with Thorcamb. As they kept going towards the large palace that ended the avenue the people began to come out of their homes or peer through the windows at the strange men, studying them as Daniel glanced their way.

The linguist could see even more of the influence of the three civilizations in the native people. He saw bronze skin from the Egyptians, pale skin from the Greeks and from the Judean people dark hair and eyes; as well as a number of other traits. At any other time he would have been interested to learn more about them, but he was still anxious about Sam and if she was alright at The Ruler's Palace.

Entering the courtyard of the palace going through another gate, Thorcamb stopped his mondary and dismounted, motioning for SG-1 to do so too. "You will remain at the palace for as long as you require shelter," he said as the other men dismounted and walked over to a large stable off to one side of the courtyard. "The final sun is setting and we must take shelter from the cold of evening. If The Ruler is to come to us with his demands for your friend, it is likely to be tomorrow."

"We've got to contact our commander tomorrow," Jack said quickly. "Through the 'gate."

"It will be done," Thorcamb said. "Please, come with me." He turned and walked up to the entrance of the palace, tall blue doors parting as he drew near. The palace was in the style of a Greek summer home, though much larger as it housed not only the royal family but also the Council. The first room that was beyond the entry was the large throne room. Thorcamb led the three men inside and stopped near the two carved ornate chairs on a dais to speak to them when four children ran inside from a side doorway and threw their arms around him tightly.

"Father! Father, did you bring us a doe?" one of the four girls cried eagerly as she tugged his sleeve.

"Children, we have guests," Thorcamb said gently, motioning to the three men.

Almost instantly the girls stared at SG-1 wide-eyed and ran behind their father, peering at the men intently.

"These are my daughters, Renenet, Chione, Laylia and Denae," Thorcamb said. He saw someone else come into the room from the same doorway the girls had run through and he motioned to the young teen as he neared them saying, "And this is my heir, Nassor."

The heir to the throne was the young man who had spoken of The Ruler when SG-1 had first met the group of natives. He was a young version of his father, tall with brown hair, light green eyes and golden brown skin. He smiled slightly at the men and nodded his head to them.

"Husband," an older woman said coming into the throne room then. "We could see the storm from the ramparts. Was there anyone taken?"

"Unfortunately my wife," Thorcamb said. He indicated SG-1 and said, "These men, Colonel O'Neill, Da'niel Jackson and Teal'c are travelers from the ring and from the home of our first ancestors. There was a woman with them; Samantha Carter; it was she whom The Ruler has taken."

"I am deeply sorry," the woman said, looking straight at Daniel, a concerned expression on her face. "I pray to Mitha that she will be returned to you. Until that time you are most welcome here in our home. I am Eshe."

"Thanks I'm sure we'll… enjoy ourselves," Jack said slowly as the royal family looked at him and his teammates.

"Please, come with me, I will show you to your rooms for the night," Eshe said, smiling softly. "You must wish to rest and eat."

"Well, at least they're polite," Jack said as they followed the woman to another doorway off the throne room. He looked at Daniel and saw that his friend still seemed to have a worried expression on his face.

Daniel was distracted as he followed Jack and Teal'c down a long hall. He was glancing around them, though there was no decoration on the walls or anywhere else. He was trying to ignore the anxiety still with him. He had no idea why he was so much more concerned for Sam than he normally was; but he was.

"Colonel O'Neill?" Eshe said a minute later as they came up to a door that was painted a pale green.

"Thanks," Jack said quickly. He walked to the doorway and stopped as the others started to walk again. He reached out to Daniel as he passed and said, "In the morning we'll contact Hammond and get whoever's available for help. Hell I'll even take a marine or two if this guy's as dangerous as they say. We'll get her out of there Daniel. Or you never know, Carter's tough she might have a chance to get away."

"She won't," Daniel said abruptly before walking towards Eshe who had shown Teal'c to his room.

Startled, Jack watched Daniel continue down the hall. He wondered what was wrong with the linguist. It had to do with more than just worry over his 2IC. He shook his head as he stepped into his room knowing he'd never be able to guess what was wrong with Daniel and instead trying to think about what he would do in the morning to try to get the major back.

"This woman who was with you," Eshe said as she led Daniel to the last doorway. "Is she your mate?"

"No," Daniel said quickly. "She's, Sam's my friend, our friend."

Eshe studied Daniel for a moment and then nodded saying, "Good night Da'niel Jackson, I hope that you will rest well this night."

"Thank you Eshe," Daniel replied, shaking himself. He nodded his head slightly and went inside the room. He heard a door closing and whirled around, startled to see a blue door in the doorway since he hadn't closed it behind him. Standing in the middle of the room he set his pack down on the ground, looking around. He walked over to the nearest window and looked out towards the north and towards the palace. After a few minutes, he felt his pocket grow warm and he reached into it, touching the sapphire.

"Hello Daniel Jackson," a voice said suddenly behind him.

Whirling around, Daniel was startled to see a young girl standing on the other side of the still closed door. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I know how Samantha is fairing in the palace that you keep looking for in the distance," the girl replied simply. And I know why she has been taken."

* * *

Sam came awake to find herself back on the large bed laid out as before. She felt groggy again and raised her right hand to rub her forehead where the man had touched her when she heard the rattle of the chain. She looked down at her wrist and saw the manacle was back in place. After a moment she felt that someone was watching her and she looked down the bed to see that Seth was staring at her. She hurriedly stood up, preparing to protect herself if she needed to.

"Good evening Samantha," Seth said, smiling at her defensive stance. He waved his hand and Sam came to him, floating through the air slowly until she was before him. "There is no use in fighting. I will never let you resist."

Stepping back as far as she could, surprised that she could, Sam realized that the man was not using any kind of technology or device and that she was in even more trouble. "What do you want from me?" she asked keeping her voice calm. "Why me and Daniel, what do we have to do with that painting, that stone?"

"That painting is of Monifa, the Warrior Princess of Philae and Hath, the Historian of the first King Nassor," Seth replied after a moment's pause, looking irritated. "They lived two generations after the people first arrived here. Monifa was the only child of King Nassor and very much loved by her father and the people of this world. Though no women were allowed to fight among the warriors, Monifa was trained in the ways of war for the day when she would become queen and become commander of those men in the Philaen army.

"One day when she was of a marriageable age, she was walking through the gardens of the Philae palace and she met the king's advisor and Historian, Hath. The instant that they saw each other they fell deeply in love. Soon after they were married and King Nassor presented to them a sapphire that had been found in the mountains of the Blue River. The stone, when touched by the Princess and Historian suddenly glowed, and instantly it called to Seth."

"To you?" Sam asked, confused.

"No, that Seth is… an ancestor," the man answered slowly. "During the wedding feast after the stone was bestowed, Seth, part of the king's council, kidnapped the Princess. He brought her here, to this palace which the enslavers of the Philaens had built. He demanded that the stone be given to him or else he would take the Princess as his wife."

"What would a stone have done for him?" Sam said, trying to back up towards the balcony as Seth paced around her.

"He had powers himself… abilities that I myself possess," Seth replied, and as he spoke a gold, jeweled goblet from a table floated in the air and to Sam. When she stepped away from it he frowned and called the cup to him, drinking deeply from the wine inside once it was in his grasp.

"The time passed for Nassor and Hath to deliver the stone to Seth and when they failed to he built up an army by stealing the natives through the storms that he created," Seth continued ignoring Sam's question, pacing back and forth in front of her.

"How you took me," Sam murmured.

"Yes, and how I've created an army of my own," Seth said, his evil smile returning. "There was a battle on the field of Mitha, twenty-five miles northeast from Philae. Thousands were killed and King Nassor nearly died as well."

"And the Historian?" Sam asked, not liking the way the story was going, though she still wasn't sure what it had to do with her and Daniel, besides the fact that he had found a sapphire-like stone.

"He fought in battle, using a staff that he had constructed of one the trees from the mountains. It drew the power from the stone, but without his wife, he was not able to draw the full power of it," Seth said. "He was easily taken by Seth and brought to this palace and this very room where the Princess was kept. While on the journey Seth wounded the Historian with a stab to his chest, and Hath bled heavily until he was so weak that he could not even embrace his wife when they were briefly reunited. With the Princess holding tightly to the Historian, Seth pried the staff from Hath and crushed his heart. He had won the battle."

"And the Princess?" Sam asked, getting a really bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"The day after, Seth took her as his wife and he left her in this room sure that his seed would take hold in her womb. She took the stone that he had separated from the staff to prepare to place into his own staff he carried, and banished it to the seven winds of this world. To save her people she ran to the balcony here," Seth said, pointing to it. "With the stone in her hand and she plunged over the edge to the stones that lay below."

And the stone disappeared?" Sam asked, almost seeing the Princess on the balcony, jumping off of it, desperate to join her husband who had died in her arms.

"It did," Seth said. "The sacrifice the Princess made and the last of her power from the stone sent it to winds and ultimately the mountains where the winds begin. But what she did not know was Seth knew what she was going to do. He entered the room as the Princess was falling, and he called to the dark gods he worshiped to hide the stone until the souls of the Princess and the Historian returned and it was never seen again…"

"What happened with Seth after that?" Sam said.

"He went mad at the loss of the stone, and King Nassor killed him only days after the death of his daughter and new son. Without the stone, Seth's power was greatly diminished and it was little effort for the King to slit his throat and then drag his body from here to the mountains of the dark gods where it was left for the animals," Seth replied.

"And you aren't him?" Sam asked, knowing she wouldn't be surprised if he replied yes.

"I am not, but I have his soul in me," Seth said, seeming to puff up as he stood up straighter. "I have his powers, his anger. I will have my revenge for my ancestor, my master. I will do what he could not. I will take the stone back, and become the most powerful man in this galaxy. This planet will be mine and I will rule it all!" He stalked towards Sam as he was speaking, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "I need you Samantha Carter. To regain the Sapphire of Seth and my full power. Daniel Jackson has it in his possession and as it is you he loves, I know that he will do whatever I demand to get you back. And the fact that you love him too will help me greatly in my endeavors."

"You… you assume too much," Sam stammered, taken by surprise by his statement about her.

"You do not love Daniel Jackson?" Seth asked, looking skeptical.

"No! I don't, I could never love… him," Sam said, starting to falter at the end though she didn't know why. "I… I ha…" she began. But she could not say those words about Daniel, even as a lie; she never would.

"I am right, I know that you love your friend as he loves you," Seth said, sneering. "And that will make my revenge even sweeter. Two star crossed lovers, who will never know that they are both in love with each other or have a chance to share that love together," Seeing Sam's surprised look he smiled again, and said, "Yes, I will kill Daniel Jackson once I have my stone once more, kill him in front of you. And then I will take you as my wife and you shall be my queen, the vessel for my heirs."

Sam felt a sick horror and she tried to run from Seth, but her body was frozen as he strode up to her.

Soon my princess," Seth hissed as he brushed his fingertips to her forehead. He lowered her to the floor with his mind once she had passed out and hissed, "Come!" towards the door. The two guards that kept watch at the room's door entered and he motioned to Sam before he stalked out of the room. "Soon I'll have my power and all will be mine," he said, grinning at Sam as he stood in the doorway. She was lying on the bed then as the guards left, and Seth felt his body physically react to her. "All is mine," he growled at her unconscious form. "_All_."


	5. Princess of the Blue River

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: Delos is a real island in Greece, part of the cluster of islands known as the Cyclades (according to my travel book on the Greek islands). And the information about the Delos here on Earth is true.

A/N #2: Just a bit of a warning, there's a mention of rape here, it's just a mention, but I want to give out a warning anyways, just in case.

A/N #3: Thanks so much for the reviews Ashleod (Pleeeease put the gun away, here's a new chapter for you to enjoy! And I've always had story ideas for SG-1 fanfiction that had them going on at least one mission, so any stories I would write in the future unless they're drabbles would have them going on a mission), KatieMichelleBelle and ascii27. I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #4: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Five  
Princess of the Blue River

Walking down a staircase, Daniel felt slightly dazed with how fast things had changed. As soon as the girl had said she knew why Sam had been taken he had stared at her as if she were insane. But she'd only smiled at him and told him to follow her, which he had done though he didn't know if he could trust her; however in the back of his mind something was telling him he could. As they came out into a lush garden, lit by torches he stopped abruptly and said, "Where are you taking me?"

"Come, it is just here," the girl said with her calm smile. She was tall and slender, but unlike the royal family she had pale skin. Daniel already knew that she was Thorcamb and Eshe's daughter by her facial features, but what stood out most about her was her eyes. They changed colors every so often to his surprise and turned into different hues that he'd never seen in eyes before. She led Daniel to a bench underneath a trellis with a plant growing around it. She stood still while Daniel touched a bud on the plant curled around the arch and smiled widely as a dark blue flower instantly bloomed.

"Who are you?" Daniel asked, whirling around to the girl. "Why have you brought me here? And why was Sam kidnapped?"

"I am Monifa, Princess of the Blue River," the girl replied. And this place is where the Warrior Princess and Historian met, not too many generations after our ancestors were brought here."

"Who?" Daniel asked in confusion, wondering why the girl felt it necessary to tell him what sounded like a myth.

Monifa told Daniel the story then, how the two had been very intelligent, brave and deeply in love, looking a little pointedly at him he thought. And then she told him about the stone the couple had been presented with, and that it had given the Princess and Historian abilities the brief time they'd had the stone and had 'activated' it. Daniel had a bad feeling hearing that and he tried to ignore the stone in his pocket that was still warm even though the night air around him was cold. He grew a little sick when Monifa told him that the Princess had been raped by Seth after the death of her husband and then had taken her own life. He was a little doubtful of the banishment of the stone and Seth calling on his dark gods, but he knew that the girl was telling the truth as she finished speaking and looked at him with clear, pale emerald eyes.

"So… you're saying that Sam and I are the reincarnation of the Princess and Historian?" Daniel asked once he'd been able to absorb the story fully.

"No, their souls are a part of yours and Samantha's," Monifa said, sitting on the bench in front of Daniel. "And Seth has the soul of his namesake along with his own. Though they are both so similar in their evil that there is no distinction between the two."

"And that's why Sam was taken?" Daniel asked. "Because of the Princess' soul?"

"And because he knows that to get the stone all he needs to do is threaten Samantha," Monifa said. "He knows you love her, deeply, and would not want to see her hurt."

Daniel felt embarrassed and turned away from the girl, wondering how she could know how he felt about his friend.

"You are not aware of it," Monifa said quietly. "But Samantha is in love with you as well."

Turning quickly, Daniel saw that she was serious and he sighed saying, "This stone, this sapphire. It wasn't broken when it was put into the Historian's staff?"

"No, it remained whole; it draws its power from the core and if that is damaged then it is only a stone. It comes from the mountains, two days journey from here. It is there that all our rain comes from and the water that gives green life to this planet," Monifa explained. "There is great power in those mountains."

Thinking for a moment, Daniel could feel the stone in his pocked shaking slightly, and he reached in, bringing it out. "It's this isn't it?" he asked softly as Monifa's now lavender eyes widened ever so slightly.

"You have released its power," the girl breathed. "It glows so brightly… it is true what the storytellers have said. If the three ever returned, Princess, Historian and Seth, they would all be more powerful than in the past as they would not completely inhabit their new bodies; there would be other souls with their own to add to their power. That glowing means that now the abilities of the Historian and Princess are now in you and Samantha, but you must have the sapphire with you to use them."

"What would happen if Seth got the stone?" Daniel said, pocketing it quickly.

"He would enslave my people and rule us completely and viciously for years," Monifa replied. "He will very likely kill you, and take Samantha for his wife, to breed his heirs."

Daniel could feel his face growing pale at the thought of that happening to Sam. "I have to get her back," he said suddenly, surprising himself since he hadn't really thought that before saying it.

"You must," Monifa said firmly.

"How do you know all this?" Daniel then said, studying the girl's face.

"I have some of the same powers that Seth has himself plus more," Monifa replied. "I can see into a man's heart and know his soul. I can also call objects to me." And to demonstrate she motioned her hand to the plant around the trellis and a flower broke off and floated to her. "You should be able to do the same soon with that stone."

Daniel, a little startled by the demonstration, was surprised to see the plant that had seemed to be just leaves when they had first reached it, was now blooming heavily. As he was staring at the flowers, he realized something and said, "This is where they met, Monifa and Hath."

"Yes, this is the garden in the story," Monifa said, handing Daniel the flower in her hand. "These flowers," she then said, motioning to another flower blooming together with the dark blue ones. "Were planted by Monifa, my ancestor. They were then planted all over the city in honor of her wedding to Hath. After their deaths however, the flowers never grew again." She smiled at Daniel's surprise and said, "It is said that the power of the Princess' and Historian's love was enough to influence the world around them. That it was why they were able to start the stone's power. You and Samantha are no different." And with that she bowed her head slightly and left, walking back to the palace.

Daniel stared after the princess, even when she had disappeared inside the building. He shook himself after a few moments and looked at the flower in his hand. What he'd been told was a lot to take in at once, so he sat down on the bench under the trellis, seeing that the vines twisted around the back of it bloomed instantly. "This is impossible," he said as the dark and light blue flowers filled the air with a rich scent, almost like roses. He closed his eyes at the aroma; it was one he recognized as similar to what Sam always wore.

Setting down the flower Monifa had given him to the side of the bench, Daniel rubbed his eyes for a moment before he stopped abruptly in realization. "She's right… I love her, I'm in love with Sam," Daniel murmured to himself under his breath, sounding amazed.

Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, Daniel felt a weight that pressed against his chest lessening. It was something he had kept hidden deep within him for a long time. It was a slight relief to say it out loud, but there were still problems even with his admittance. Even though Monifa had been so sure when she'd said Sam felt the same about him, he just couldn't be certain. If the princess was wrong and Sam wasn't in love with him, what would he do? He couldn't tell her how he felt, he decided, unless he had some kind of clue that she was in love with him herself. It was then that he thought of when he'd first fallen in love with her, and found that he could not name when exactly that was.

He had recognized that Sam was beautiful when he'd first seen her on Abydos, and that she was extremely intelligent in the map room. The almost instant rapport they'd had shared had been a surprise, and a pleasant one as he'd never really had a connection with someone like that before. But if he'd felt anything for Sam that day he didn't know and with all that had happened after with Sha're it was impossible to know. All he was aware of in those first days was that he and Sam had quickly become friends. But as Daniel looked up at the stars above him, he knew that there had been some attraction he'd felt for Sam in the early months after he'd returned to Earth and joined the SGC; it had just been buried deep, deep in his subconscious because he still had a wife. When Sha're had been killed, Daniel had been plunged into mourning for her and hadn't really taken much interest in what was around him. Sam had been a great friend at that time, but there was nothing that might have indicated to him he was falling in love with her. There had never been any inclination of that, until he had descended.

When Daniel had first seen Sam on Vis Uban he had been struck by his first reaction towards her; though outwardly he'd pushed her hand away. There had been an immediate attraction, and with that had come a sense of what he could only describe as completion which had unsettled him as he'd had no memory of her. She seemed to complete him even before they had spoken, and it was why he'd asked her if there had ever been anything between them inside the tent when she'd spoken with him. His deeply buried emotion had been the first thing to return to him, and ever since then he had been trying to conceal that emotion for his friend and teammate. But it was impossible. When he had begun to regain his memories of Sha're; he first felt a heavy guilt, that he was thinking of another woman when he'd loved his wife so much. But he soon began to have dreams. Of his deceased wife whispering in his ear as he slept, telling him to love again, that he could not keep his heart encased in stone forever. He always was a little discontented after that dream, wondering if he really should try to see if there could be anything between him and Sam. But he always pushed that thought aside along with everything else he felt for his teammate that was more than platonic. He felt that if they did start dating, there would be a number of factors against it. Mostly because they were on the same team. He didn't think too much about it though since it was something he ignored along with his feelings for Sam. But now that he had admitted it to himself…

Daniel knew that if he and Sam were ever in a relationship, and there was a problem because they were on the same team he was sure that he would leave SG-1 so they could be together. It was something he'd thought about often when considering his feelings for her, and he was determined to do it if it was necessary. It didn't matter how much he'd miss being on SG-1 and going through the 'gate; as he wouldn't want to be switched to another team. A quiet breeze blew around him, shaking him from his thoughts and he realized that he was jumping the gun. He didn't even know how Sam felt about him, and she was still being held by Seth. It wasn't really the time or the place to think of a future with her. To even have a chance of that, he needed her there with him and he stood up to return to the palace.

Before he started walking though, Daniel paused and looked at the blue flowers brightly blooming. He picked a dark blue one and then a pale blue bloom. Going back to his room then, he rolled the stems of the flowers absently in his fingers, hoping that he would be able to get Sam away from The Ruler, before he could attempt to touch her or hurt her. A rush of anger filled him at the thought of her being touched by the man, and the stone in his pocket began to shake and grow warm, its pale blue core almost turning white hot as Daniel disappeared into his room, not noticing the changes in it as it seemed to emit a low throbbing sound, in perfect sync with his heartbeat.

* * *

Coming awake with a start, Sam groaned as she quickly remembered her conversation with Seth before he had again put her unconscious. Looking out towards the balcony she saw that it was now night and she guessed it was at least two hours since she had been out. "This is getting really annoying," she murmured to herself as she climbed out of the bed. She started to walk to the balcony when she heard footsteps outside the room coming close and she tried not to panic, thinking it was Seth.

Instead of her kidnapper though, a short, young woman entered, carrying a gold tray with some food, a goblet and bowl on it. "My lady," the woman said softly, her voice lightly accented. "I have brought you nourishment for tonight."

"I'm not hungry," Sam said quickly though her stomach was growling in complaint.

"Please, this is not from The Ruler," the woman said pleadingly. "I have prepared it with my own hands."

"But you're his… servant," Sam said, putting her hands behind her back, trying to tug hard at the chains on her manacles. She had suddenly felt trapped, and wanted to escape before Seth returned to the room.

"I may be a slave here my lady," the woman said, setting the tray down on a table against a wall. "But I am not here of my own choosing." And she raised her arms, showing Sam the manacles on her wrists, a chain attaching them together. "I was taken as you were."

"There are other women here?" Sam asked, a little surprised the woman knew how she had been kidnapped, but then remembered it was how Seth had said he'd taken men for his army.

"No, I am the only one," the woman said. "Please my lady, eat something. I am guessing you are in need of food." When Sam didn't move she went to the table and took a sip of the wine in the goblet, and ate a piece of the thick bread sliced on a plate. "It is not poisoned my lady," she said once she had swallowed.

Nodding, Sam hurried over to her and picked up a slice of bread, tearing off a piece and eating it. She was famished, but schooled herself to chew slowly before she swallowed. She was thirsty as well, but didn't want the wine and hesitated as she looked at the goblet.

"There is water too my lady," the woman said, picking up a simple metal cup that had been hidden behind the bowl. She smiled as Sam drank slowly at first, but her second sip was almost gulped down. "My name is Athena," she said as Sam sat on the chair in front of the table.

I'm Sam, Samantha Carter," Sam replied as she picked up a slice of fruit that looked like a piece of tiny cantaloupe. "How were you taken if S-The Ruler takes only men?"

"I am from Delos," Athena replied.

"Delos?" Sam asked in slight confusion as she recognized the name as an island in Greece. One that Daniel had told her about as it had been deserted after the Romans took over the nation and was currently an archeological site.

"Yes, across the sea from Philae," Athena replied. She walked to the bed then, and proceeded to remove the linen sheets covering it. "I was out hunting one day eight months ago, and I had worn the clothes of my brother to better catch any game. I was taken in the forest outside the city."

"He didn't return you?" Sam asked, finishing the rest of the bread and feeing a lot stronger than she had waking up.

"No, though he made a mistake, The Ruler did not want to send me back so I could tell all what had happened," Athena said, changing the linen sheets for dark blue silk ones.

"He's raped you," Sam said suddenly as the woman's tone of voice grew bitter. She stood up and walked over to the woman who had gasped and turned to her at her statement. She had suddenly felt sympathetic towards the young woman, and felt the last of her doubt in trusting her fade away. "I'm so sorry Athena," she said, hugging the woman gently on impulse as she stiffened quickly. A second later she felt the young woman relax and then start to shudder as she cried. It was then that Sam realized something else. "You're pregnant."

That seemed to get to the woman, and Athena pulled away from Sam. "It is not his," she said, wiping away the last of the tears on her cheeks. "He cannot create a child, not with any native woman, only…"

Sam shivered in disgust as Athena trailed off and looked away from her. She guessed that because she had the soul of the Princess in her, he would only be able to create children with her. She didn't really want to think about that though, and she said, "Then do you know who…" before stopping, knowing it would be incredibly insulting to ask her that.

"It is one of the servants to The Ruler himself," Athena replied, tears falling down her cheeks again. "Five men who… take me in turn after he has finished with me. They are the only ones here, besides the guards, who still have their souls. But this child inside of me is evil… I would gladly die than to bear it…" She trailed off and shook her head before speaking again. "I must stop, he might hear me." And she finished with the bed before she walked to the table and tray. She stopped before picking it up, and turned to Sam. "I have brought something here for you."

"More water?" Sam asked as she went over to Athena and saw her move the bowl from the tray to the table.

"No," Athena said simply. She took Sam's hand then and made her touch the surface of the water in the bowl with the very tips of her fingers. "Think of what you wish to see and it will appear," she told Sam who was completely confused.

Hesitating, Sam almost didn't do what the woman said, thinking there was no way she could make an image appear. But Athena was looking at her so beseechingly that she decided to try. She closed her eyes, feeling more than a little foolish, and imagined Daniel without thinking.

"That is the Historian?" Athena asked softly a second later.

Opening her eyes, Sam looked down at the bowl, and saw that Daniel's image was on the liquid. "Holy Hannah…" she whispered, amazed that she had somehow done it. She then forgot her awe as she saw Daniel's face full of concern as he looked out a window. As before, he was surrounded by a pale blue mist and she felt her heart pound a little faster as Daniel seemed to grow sad, and walked away from the window.

"He is handsome," Athena said, watching Sam closely. She smiled inwardly as Sam nodded absently in response, and she picked up the tray on the table. "You are in love with him, deeply," she then said, walking to the door and pausing in front of it. She smiled outright when Sam's head shot up and said, "He will come for you, he cares for you; deeply as well." And she left, feeling the flutter of the child in her womb, casting a pall over her as tears ran down her face again. She only hoped that Sam would be spared her fate, and that she would be the one to escape the palace as she had seen in her dreams.

With Athena's words still echoing in her mind, Sam knew that she could no longer deny it. She was in love with Daniel. With a sigh she closed her eyes and when she opened them she was surprised to see that the bowl no longer showed Daniel on the surface. She walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge, knowing that she had to get her feelings for her teammate thought out.

Sam had known that that she was attracted to Daniel when they had first met. When she'd seen him it was an almost instant physical attraction. But when Sha're had appeared, Sam had pushed that away, since any thoughts of something happening between her and Daniel immediately disappeared. Even so, she realized how smart he was in the map room and she had remembered that she had had a feeling she'd like him after reading all his papers before traveling through the Stargate. She had been even more interested in Daniel after their exchange and that was pushed away as well once they had left the room and discovered the attack and kidnapping of Sha're and Skaara by Apophis. She then tried to forget she'd ever felt anything for Daniel as he had searched desperately for his wife and they had become teammates.

After Sha're's death, Sam had by then become very close to Daniel and they were great friends. That was all she expected to be with her teammate, but there were times when she found that she wanted more. Those thoughts were always forgotten; or she attempted to forget them; very quickly and she tried not to think about it when they were together since Daniel had been devastated with his loss and she felt it was crass to think that way of him while he was so sad.

When Daniel had ascended, Sam had been completely shattered. Without him she had felt that a part of her was missing, and she knew then for sure that she was deeply in love with him, that he was her soul mate. They thought alike so much of the time and worked well together that it was as if they were the same person they were so similar and compatible. And that was especially true when they were doing their 'mind meld' as Jack liked to call it sometimes.

Sam smiled to herself at that thought, and she recalled seeing Daniel for the first time after he had descended on Vis Uban. She had been so happy that he was back, but surprised at his, what had felt like, rejection of her along with his memory loss. And she had the same reaction to his question as to if there'd been anything between them. She'd had to squash a flicker of hope that rose up in her, even as she was telling him no. She had thought that maybe he felt the same about her and was remembering it, but she knew that soon he'd recall Sha're. So she had once again tried to forget her emotions, trying to push them deep down and lock them away to never again see the light of day.

That had been five months before. Since Daniel had gotten his memories back she had noticed that he'd begun to spend a lot more time with her outside of work than he had just before his ascension. She knew he did the same with Jack and Teal'c and SG-1 had nights where they would get together, usually at Jack's house, more often than a year before. But she and Daniel had been spending more time together than the team would. They usually went to a restaurant for dinner, after Daniel would ask her, and she'd sometimes catch him staring at her out of the corner of her eyes. The emotion in his blue eyes unreadable, but it would make a tingle shoot up and down her spine.

Thinking of that reminded her of that morning at the SGC; and what felt like a life time ago; and the electricity in Daniel's touch. She stood up then, and went to the balcony, ignoring the cool breeze that surrounded her. She looked to the southwest where she knew Philae was. And with a soft whisper spoke, "I love you Daniel, I'm _in_ love with you." And she shivered as the wind around her seemed to take her words towards the city, and she closed her eyes, hoping that one day she might be able to speak those words to Daniel himself.


	6. Discovered Power

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: A quick translation of the languages I have in this chapter:  
_- Dlat chy zae, troi peir h'oa eko chorist b'eh anas b'eh thanat ote b'eh oi alath idioi_ Two souls united, can never be torn apart by man, by death, nor by the gods themselves  
- _Ntk d'on ma b'moro _You disturb our master (this and the next is the language that's Aramaic with a little Ancient Egyptian)  
- _Le'la'a! Ntk d'eat ntkr ell hjnt_ Fools! You harm your future queen

A/N #2: Just a bit of a warning, there's some violence, nothing especially graphic, but I want to be careful.

A/N #3: Thanks so much for the reviews Ashleod (Thanks for putting the gun away, I won't stop posting this story until it's done so don't bring it out again, lol. And I hope that the way this story goes lives up to your expectations!) and HAZMOT (This story gets to be very heavy Sam/Daniel so I hope you don't mind it. And I wrote this story for fun, so I hope that it lives up to your expectations as well!). I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #4: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Six  
Discovered Power

When Daniel emerged from the staircase that led from the gardens to the hall where his room was, he was surprised to see Jack and Teal'c were waiting for him near his door. "What's wrong?" he asked, hurrying over to them.

"I went inside to talk to you about tomorrow and you were gone," Jack said, sounding slightly irritated. "And you didn't have your radio. Where the hell were you?"

"I believe Daniel Jackson was talking to one of the royal family," Teal'c answered before Daniel could. "I viewed him in the garden that is behind this part of the palace."

"Yeah… I was," Daniel said, a little surprised that the Jaffa had seen him.

"Right, well next time warn me you're gonna go off and pick the flowers," Jack said, looking at the two in Daniel's hand. "I wanted to talk to you both about tomorrow morning. We have to get some help from home to get Carter back from that Ruler guy."

"What about what Thorcamb said?" Daniel asked quickly. "His powers."

"Yeah, well, if we use the right tactic we should be able to surprise him before he can use any weapons he might have," Jack replied.

"He has the same weapons these people do Jack," Daniel said. "His powers are… they're more like psycho-kinesis and some other mental abilities."

"Right, so we won't dump pig's blood on him while we go in there," Jack said with a shrug.

"Jack-" Daniel began.

"Ah, we'll go to the 'gate tomorrow Daniel," Jack interrupted, holding a hand up. "We'll talk to Hammond and see what we can do."

"Alright," Daniel replied, knowing that once he informed the General about the warning Thorcamb had given them about Seth, he could try and convince Hammond that another tactic had to be taken. After hearing the story of the first Seth, Daniel had no doubts that the current Seth had the same abilities. Trying to fight against him as Jack wanted would likely be a fatal mistake, and it wouldn't help them get Sam back.

Jack was watching the linguist closely. He saw that Daniel looked even more worried and was tense. He knew that there was a reason for the more intense concern about the major, but he wasn't sure what it was exactly. "Okay, so we'll leave at 0700 to get to the 'gate. Hopefully those Monday things ride fast." He was concerned when Daniel didn't reply to that, instead he seemed to sense something and looked towards the north. "Daniel?" he asked.

"Yeah, I need to get some rest," Daniel said shortly. "Night." And he started walking to the door to his room, unaware that both his teammates were watching him with some concern.

"Danny," Jack said as Daniel reached his room. He was pleased when his teammate looked at him in surprise at the use of his nickname, and he quickly spoke again. "You okay?"

"Of course," Daniel said, feeling a pang of guilt for lying to his friend.

"Right, get some sleep," Jack said, getting the sense that the linguist wasn't being at all truthful. He sighed when Daniel then disappeared into his room and looked at Teal'c.

"Daniel Jackson is very concerned for Major Carter," the Jaffa began. "He has learned something about The Ruler that has made him fear for her life."

"We'll get Carter back," Jack said. "We've done it thousands of times before. It's pretty much routine now. Don't know why he's so worried." He shook his head and said, "Some sleep'll help him, and speaking of which, we better turn in ourselves, gotta head out early. Night Teal'c."

"Good night Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c replied. He watched Jack walk down the hall and then glanced at the closed door of Daniel's room. He was a little surprised at how oblivious Jack was. It was very obvious that Daniel was concerned for Sam, not just as a friend, but as a lover as well. He had always thought that the major and archeologist would be happier together and had watched them both go from good friends to friends who were suffering from unrequited love for the other. As he walked to his room finally he hoped that Sam would return and that she would be unharmed since he knew if she was hurt or worse, it would be a painful blow for Daniel.

* * *

Closing his door after talking to Jack and Teal'c, Daniel turned his thoughts to what the rest of SG-1 could do to get their colleague back. But as he latched the door closed, something inside of him was telling him that he was the one who would be going to Seth's palace. The problem was, he had no idea how he was going to do it. To try to fight against a man with mental abilities was not something he had trained for with Jack and Teal'c.

Trying to search his mind for a clue, maybe an ancient myth about a person with abilities like Seth being defeated. But he drew a blank and he took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes for a moment. He walked over to the bed against the east wall, opposite from the side that the garden was on, and he recalled that the flowers from there were still in his hand. He set them down on the low table next to the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress.

It was then that he noticed a statuette on the table. A figurine of two people which he quickly picked up to study closer. It was a man and a woman, and as soon as he touched the wooden arm of the woman he knew it was the Princess and Historian. They were dressed in the flowing robes and chiton that he'd seen on the natives when they arrived in the city. The Historian's arm was wrapped tightly around the Princess' waist. The Princess was holding a stone that had blue and gold-silver rays painted around it, indicating that it was glowing. There was writing etched on the base of the statue, writing that Daniel was able to read as it resembled Aramaic. It said, '_Dlat chy zae, troi peir h'oa eko chorist b'eh anas b'eh thanat ote b'eh oi alath idioi_.' '_Two souls united, can never be torn apart by man, by death, nor by the gods themselves_.'

It was a beautiful piece of art, but it only served to remind Daniel that Sam was in danger. He set the statue down and remembered his 'declaration' in the garden. Now that he had finally admitted to himself his feelings for Sam, he realized that he couldn't stop thinking about her. Worrying about her safety as Seth's captive and if he'd ever see her again.

When he should have felt a rush of anxiety, Daniel instead concentrated on something else. He could suddenly see Sam's face in his mind, which startled him since he hadn't consciously conjured it. But it calmed him even more and he closed his eyes as he reached into the pocket to touch the sapphire. As soon as he had done that he felt a warmth go through him, along with what could only be described as an emotion of pure love, and he felt totally at peace for the first time since Sam had been kidnapped that afternoon, and he went into an almost trance-like state.

Daniel had no idea how long he'd stayed like that, sitting on the edge of the bed, but he soon opened his eyes. And he saw the sapphire was floating in the air. Shocked, he suddenly recalled what Monifa had said in the garden about the stone and its power.

_The abilities of the Historian and Princess are now in you and Samantha, but you must have the sapphire with you to use them…_

Getting an idea, almost like a revelation, Daniel decided to try something and in his mind pictured the stone; a foot above the bed, coming to him. Instantly, the stone floated slowly towards him, and he picked it out of the air. Staring at the core of the sapphire, he saw that the glow; the same hue of Sam's eyes; was pulsating gently. He soon felt that it was in time with his heartbeat. He looked around him, and his eyes rested on the statue. The stone firm and warm in his grasp, Daniel imagined the statuette rising up in the air, then floating to him.

Holding his breath, Daniel watched as the statue quickly floated up a few inches, and then came to him. Swallowing hard, he decided to try it again, though a little differently, to see how much power the stone was giving him.

For the next ten minutes, Daniel tried pulling the statue to him from different points in the room, experimenting with speed and force and found that he was able to control his newfound psycho-kinesis well after only just discovering it.

When he had finished, Daniel looked down at the stone he was holding still in his left hand. He had another sudden idea, and walking to a chest against one wall he opened it and found it was full of crisp linen sheets. He stuck the sapphire inside it and closed the top firmly before walking to the door, the point furthest from both the stone and the statue.

Again imagining the statuette floating to him, Daniel found that he was able to still bring it to him, but it was more difficult and once the statue was in his hand he felt a little weak. He quickly went to the chest, and retrieved the stone, slipping it into his pocket, feeling stronger quickly. After he had set the statue back in its place he decided to get some sleep to completely regain his energy. As he lay on the bed he started to think about what this ability would mean. He knew that he had a way to rescue Sam; he just had to figure out how he could use it.

* * *

Not long after Athena had left her, Sam decided that she should try to get some rest. She had suddenly started to feel weak and it was adding to the grogginess she'd felt from being put unconscious twice. So she'd lain out on the bed, on her side since the chains were still attached to her manacles. It took a long time, once she was in a relatively comfortable position, for her to even begin to feel sleepy. There had been so much that had happened to her, physically and emotionally that it was a surprise when she slipped abruptly into slumber. Unfortunately, it would be anything but peaceful as she soon began to dream.

_"Sam!" was the first thing that she heard when she became aware of her dream. She realized immediately that she was in the throne room where the painting of the Princess and the Historian was. She was standing in front of the gilded throne and struggled to move as Daniel, who had called out her name, ran inside._

_"Welcome Daniel Jackson," the deep, sharp voice of Seth said behind Sam. She felt something in body change, and found that she was able to turn her head, but that was all as The Ruler passed by her. "You have come in time to see my plans reach their maturation. I will have my stone now."_

_"Let Sam go, and I'll give it to you," Daniel said, his eyes straying over to Sam momentarily._

_"Daniel, don't-" Sam began to say before something made her lips clamp tightly together and she struggled to open them with no success._

_"You will give it to me now!" Seth bellowed angrily, the walls seeming to shudder as a result. When Daniel said nothing, it seemed that The Ruler grew taller in his rage, and his eyes; now a bright red; seemed to glow hotly. But then something flashed across his face and he smiled slowly, turning to Sam._

_The look in Seth's eyes made Sam ill and she could almost feel herself grow pale as he stalked towards her. Her mind tried to tell her body to move, but she was held in place firmly by the man as he reached her._

_"You refuse to hand the stone over to me?" Seth asked. There was a beat of silence and he stepped behind Sam, looking straight into Daniel's eyes. "Then you will watch as I take this woman to be mine, to hold my seed and bear my children." And with that he reached up to Sam's hair and stroked it, smirking evilly at Daniel. He then murmured, "As soft as silk, and pure gold. My heirs shall be blessed indeed."_

_Sam tried again to move, to pull away from the man whose touch filled her with such disgust that she thought she would be physically sick. But Seth held her tightly with his mind; the only movement in her body was her eyes, and a tear that slipped down her cheek._

_Daniel was glaring at Seth as the man's hands drifted over Sam's neck and to her breasts. His hands clenched tightly as Seth roughly squeezed at her, and more tears fell from her eyes that by then were closed. When The Ruler next stole one hand down in the direction of the junction of Sam's legs, he let out an anguished yell. "Stop!"_

_"Daniel, no!" Sam cried, suddenly able to speak as her teammate ran to her and Seth._

_Before Daniel could get any closer, Seth motioned with his hand and he froze, his eyes almost blazing with anger as The Ruler walked up to him._

_"So you would deny me my birthright?" Seth snarled as he walked around the linguist. "You deny me my revenge. You will not be suffered to live."_

_Sam watched, horrified, as Daniel suddenly made a choking noise, and she could see the indentations of fingers in his throat. "No, please, let him go," she cried, feeling helpless as she was still held in place. The Ruler ignored her and Daniel's face became red, making Sam frantic._

_Seth waved his hand suddenly, and Daniel fell to the ground, gasping for air as he rubbed his throat. But before he could fully recover from the near strangulation, a tear suddenly appeared in his shirt and he let out a yell of pain. Looking down, there was a long slash in his skin, blood dripping slowly out of it._

_Sam watched as Seth then seemed to go crazy and Daniel was nearly howling with pain, writhing on the ground as more cuts were inflicted all over him. She fought against the force holding her as hard as she could when she saw that Daniel's movements were becoming slower. He by then had at least fifty cuts, mostly on his back and chest, and she knew that he was loosing too much blood. All of a sudden she was able to stumble forward and righting herself, she ran to where Daniel was laying on his side and she got to her knees. "Daniel…" she whispered as she moved him to lie in her lap. She looked into his eyes as she stroked his face, and she could almost see the life slipping away from him. "No, Daniel don't-" she began to say, fear filling her soul._

_Daniel suddenly let out a horrible cry of pain, and arched up off Sam's lap. A moment later a trickle of blood seeped out the corner of his mouth and he whispered, "Sam I've always… always loved… loved… you…" And with a final sigh his body went limp, blood pouring almost from his slightly parted lips._

"God, Daniel!" Sam cried out, jerking out of sleep as she sat up on the bed. Panting heavily, she looked around her, trying to convince herself it was just a dream. But it felt too real and she had the sudden panicked thought that unless she got out of there it would become reality.

Jumping out of the bed, Sam ran to a table that had an obelisk shaped statue on it and spread one of the chains attached to her wrists across it. As hard as she could, she began to strike at the shimmering gold-silver links, hitting one of them over and over. But the metal was strong and it was all Sam could do to even dent the chain.

She had forgotten about the two guards at the door of the room, so it was a shock when Sam felt someone grabbing her arm and she let out a startled cry when she fell on her back on the floor.

"_Ntk d'on ma b'moro!_" one of the guards spat out and a spark of electricity shot out of the end of his staff weapon, hitting Sam in the shoulder.

It was only a small shock, but when the other guard shot her at the same time she couldn't hold back the scream of pain that left her lips, echoing in the room. She had no idea how long it lasted, she only knew that her whole body was rigid, pain seeming to penetrate every molecule inside her.

"_Le'la'a! Ntk d'eat ntkr ell hjnt!_" a voice snarled suddenly. The two guards turned to see their master standing next to them, and that was the last they ever saw as in the next instant their heads were severed in one swift stroke by the wickedly sharp sword Seth held in his powerful hand.

Breathing harshly as pain still radiated up her spine, Sam pushed herself away from the dead guards, trying not to be sick.

With a quick wave of his hand, the guards disappeared and Seth turned to look at Sam who had made it to the bed and was using it to stand. "You see what I do for you? I kill my own to keep you safe, my wife."

Though she felt weak still, Sam felt the anger and fear rise up inside her, giving her the courage to lash out at her captor. "I will never be your wife. If I ever marry anyone it will be Daniel!" She was startled at her words, spoken in the heat of anger, but quickly forgot about it as Seth's eyes turned black, glaring at her.

"You will be mine along with the miserable people of this planet. You will be my slave!" Seth bellowed, stalking up to Sam and his hand flashed out, slapping her hard on the cheek. He didn't even bother to see how badly he'd hurt her, merely turned and strode out the door.

Tasting the metallic tang of blood as she fell to the bed, Sam touched her throbbing cheek and as an unnoticed tear of pain slid down her face she screamed in her mind, '_Daniel!_'

* * *

When Daniel fell asleep that night, he was almost instantly transported into a dream. In it he saw Sam sleeping on a bed much like his though more ornate. She screamed his name as she awoke, panting and even sweating a little. She then ran to an obelisk and tried to use the statue to break a chain attached to one of her wrists, but it was obvious the effort was in vain; though she kept on struggling.

Two guards suddenly burst into the room and one threw Sam to the floor and a second later shocked her with his staff weapon. Daniel wanted to stop them, as the other guard shocked Sam as well, but he could do anything; he was only a spectator. As he watched, a man suddenly appeared out of thin air and he instinctively knew that it was The Ruler. He watched the man's lips move, but he couldn't hear what he said. He felt sick as a moment later the two guards were decapitated.

Turning his attention to Sam, Daniel watched as she almost crawled to the bed and lifted herself up. A second later the guards' bodies and head were gone, along with their weapons with a wave of Seth's hand. He spoke to Sam then, who retorted angrily, though Daniel again couldn't hear what they were saying. Seth instantly looked enraged, and he stalked up to Sam, yelling something before he struck her on the cheek, hard enough to send her flying down on the bed.

With a gasp, Daniel sat up in bed, breathing roughly. It took him a moment to realize that his cheek was lightly throbbing, as if someone had hit him seconds before. And in his mind there was a faint echo, as if someone had called his name. Shocked, he touched his cheek and looked in the direction of Seth's palace instinctively. "Sam…" he murmured, realizing that his dream had in fact been reality.


	7. Demands

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: I don't really know how the Stargate works exactly, so I may have some stuff here that may be impossible (but then again the stuff on the show… hehe), but anyways, I'm taking artistic license for what happens here in regards to the 'gate.

A/N #2: The information about astral projection, just basic info, is real though I can't recall where exactly I read it or heard it (the episode of the show _The X-Files_, called _The Walk_ had some information about this phenomenon).

A/N #3: Thanks so much for the reviews GimmeABeat (Welcome back to the story, I'm glad that you're enjoying it, and I hope you'll stick around!), HAZMOT (Hey, glad to see you reviewed again, and your conjectures are really fun to read, I enjoy it a lot. And I just hope the rest of this story is written well enough for your expecatations! Thanks again!) and Ashleod (The wait is over! Lol, I'm really glad this story caught your attention, and I hope that it continues too! I really can't wait to read what you think of this one. Thanks for all your reviews so far!). I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #4: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Seven  
Demands

Early in the morning after Daniel had his dream about Sam, he was with the rest of SG-1 and Thorcamb, all of them riding mondaries to the forest the Stargate was in. They were halfway there and riding as fast as the animals would go, making better time than they had from the forest to Philae the day before, though Daniel hardly noticed.

The night before, once he'd gotten over the shock of his dream and what had occurred in it, Daniel had found it hard to get back to sleep. Though he knew that Sam was able to take care of herself, without weapons and chained as she was, she was effectively helpless. Plus, Seth's abilities were strong, but there was a limit to what he could do without the sapphire luckily. Still, Seth had Sam locked up tight in his palace, and Daniel knew now more than ever that he needed to get her out.

It was all he'd thought about the night before. Only his exhaustion let him finally get to sleep a few hours before dawn. When he'd woken up he felt groggy and wished the planet had some form of coffee so he could wake up. But he did what he could before he joined Jack, Teal'c and Thorcamb at the palace stables. As they had ridden out of the city gates he could feel Jack's gaze on his back as he rode ahead with the planet's leader. He knew that he would need to tell his two teammates what was going on. But he was hesitant, something in him telling him to wait a while longer.

As the four men slowed down to go around the dune in front of the forest with the Stargate, Thorcamb spoke, "There is something troubling you my friend."

Glancing at the man, Daniel gave a short nod and said, "Your daughter spoke with me last night."

"Yes, she told me that she would tell you who you are," Thorcamb said. "And she knew that you and Samantha had arrived. It is why my men and I were there after you had arrived."

"I'm surprised she's not the reincarnation of the Princess," Daniel said absently as they finally came all the way around the dune.

"There are people here who have some of the abilities that she does and The Ruler as well," Thorcamb said. "Not all of them are in one person, but one will be able to travel at will wherever they wish to here. Another can move things with nothing but their minds. It is not unusual here, though having many of those powers in one person as my daughter has is. Monifa is well favored by the people of Philae though."

"Why is that?" Daniel asked as he noticed a proud smile covered the man's face.

"Monifa is able to see into events that will occur in the future, along with her other abilities," Thorcamb replied. "It is a power that no one has ever had before. And she has used it for good, to help those that may be in danger." He paused, looking off into the distance then. "Eshe and I worried the people would shun her, or see her as evil. We were both overjoyed to see her accepted as Princess of the Blue River after her powers became well known." He fell silent then for a few minutes, watching Daniel as he glanced to the north every few minutes. "There is more troubling you Da'niel, than just Samantha being taken."

Daniel wasn't too surprised that the man had seen his anxiety. He opened his mouth to tell him he was right, when some instinct told him to tell the man about his dream. So looking at the leader of Philae, he explained what he'd dreamt, but left out what he had felt and heard when he'd woken up.

Thorcamb was silent as Daniel spoke, and he let the archeologist talk until he had finished. The leader waited a moment before he spoke. "Monifa," he began quietly. "Told me you have the stone, and that its powers have begun by you and Samantha. This dream… that you believe actually happened did. And it is due to the stone."

"How though?" Daniel asked. "Why did I dream what happened to Sam last night, exactly as it occurred?"

"It is the stone," Thorcamb repeated. "And it is because of your connection to Samantha." He wasn't surprised when Daniel ducked his head and his cheeks colored slightly. He was tempted to question him about that when they reached the path into the forest and the Stargate. He stopped and dismounted, Daniel doing so a moment later as Jack and Teal'c stopped. "We must tie the mondaries at the stream just off the path. They must have water for the trip back."

"We'll help," Daniel said quickly. He looked over at Jack and said, "We need Thorcamb to explain to the general what The Ruler is capable of."

"I will travel through the ring with you?" Thorcamb asked, surprised.

"Yeah, but don't worry, you'll come back before… Eshe gets worried about you," Jack said, pausing to remember how to pronounce the woman's name.

The four men were quiet as they reached the small stream and they tied the reins of the mondaries to low hanging branches. Once the animals were settled and drinking the group left to return to the path and walk to the Stargate. There, Daniel dialed to the SGC and gave his code. And as the chevrons were locking, he suddenly had a strange sensation.

After the wormhole opened up, Jack and Teal'c walked up the ramp and were about to go through when alarms went off in Daniel's head, and he ran up after his teammates calling, "Wait, don't!" He managed to grab Jack's arm and stopped him only an inch away from the Stargate. Luckily Teal'c was a few inches behind the colonel, and he'd stopped the second he'd heard Daniel running up the ramp.

Jack, staring at Daniel as if he was crazy, asked, "What the hell's wrong?"

"It's the Stargate, something's blocking it, you can't go through it," Daniel said, pulling Jack back towards the ramp.

"What? How could you know that?" Jack asked in surprise.

"I don't know," Daniel replied. "But I'm serious, watch." And he went to the ground next to the ramp, picking up a small stone half the size of his hand. He motioned Jack and Teal'c away off the ramp and once they were he stood at the bottom of it, and threw the stone in carefully, just in case he was wrong through he was sure he wasn't.

The four men watched the stone arc through the air and disappear into the Stargate. Half a minute later however, it flew back out, there was something blocking the wormhole just beyond the event horizon.

Jack looked at Daniel, shocked, and then at the Stargate. Had the linguist been a second or two later, he would have died. "What's blocking it?" he finally said once he'd recovered from the surprise.

"It is The Ruler," Thorcamb said gravely. When Jack and Teal'c looked at him, the former looking skeptical he nodded and said, "He does not wish Da'niel's departure from our world."

Before anyone could respond to that, a voice issued from the MALP that was at the bottom of the ramp that the members of SG-1 recognized as belonging to General Hammond.

"Colonel O'Neill?" the man asked.

"Sir, we're here, there's a problem with the wormhole," Jack said as they walked over to the robot, wondering how he was going to explain it. "It's blocked off."

"How is that possible?" Hammond asked, surprised. "Major-"

"General, we've got a… situation here," Daniel said then. He proceeded to tell Hammond what had happened since SG-1 had left the SGC, keeping out the stone and everything related to the story of the Warrior Princess and Historian, his abilities and his dream of Sam being hurt the night before.

"We were going to come through, see if you could send back with us the cavalry, but apparently this Ruler guy's got powers. The leader of the planet here says he's the one blocking the 'gate."

"That's something that's impossible colonel," Hammond said.

"Not here apparently," Jack said. "We can try later; this guy shouldn't be able to hold on to the 'gate for that long sir."

"He will find another way to make it impossible to open it again," Thorcamb said. "He will not let you leave," he said, looking at Daniel.

"Did you get that sir?" Jack asked, glancing at Daniel too and seeing concern there again on his face.

"Yes, that was the leader you spoke of?" Hammond asked.

"Yes sir, his name's Thorcamb," Jack answered. "He and his people have treated us well; let us stay at the palace in the city."

"Well SG-1 I'm not sure what my next can step be here considering you're blocked off from us," Hammond said.

"General," Thorcamb said. "I will pledge my warriors to help release Samantha from The Ruler. We have had an uneasy truce with him since he took the palace in the desert. We will be at war soon, and we do not wish to see any of our allies dying at his hands."

"We don't want your people dying for our sake," Hammond said quickly.

"Nor do I, but you are our allies General," Thorcamb said firmly. "Though there is no treaty we have signed yet. We will help you, and the travelers here."

"I think there is no other way to rescue Major Carter, General Hammond," Teal'c said in the silence.

"Alright, try to get Major Carter back from The Ruler if possible," Hammond said after a while. "But do not enter into a battle with this man. Doctor Jackson, I'm hoping your skills as a diplomat will come in handy here."

"I'll try my absolute best sir," Daniel replied.

"Good luck SG-1, I want to hear from you in twenty-four to see what progress has been made," Hammond said.

"We'll be here sir," Jack replied, saluting casually to the MALP's camera.

When the Stargate had closed, Daniel felt the same alarm in his mind as he had before, and he ran to the DHD to the surprise of his teammates. He dialed up a random planet he knew was empty of life, and when the last symbol was pushed, there was nothing. No whoosh as the 'gate opened. It remained empty.

"You were right," Jack said, looking at Thorcamb. "Daniel?"

"I don't know, this isn't really my area of expertise," Daniel replied looking at the base of the DHD. He took out the pocket knife in his other pocket and was able to open the panel. "It looks like a crystal's been taken." He closed his eyes and then closed the panel. "S- The Ruler," he said. "He can bring objects to him with his mind. He's aware of how the Stargate works."

"No," Thorcamb said as Daniel got up and they started to walk back to where the mondaries were. "If he was, he would have left here long ago to conquer more than our world. He only knows that removing something from that… pedestal destroys it."

"Do you have any idea how we can get to that palace and get Carter?" Jack asked when they had untied their animals.

"No, but a plan will soon come," Thorcamb said, and he mounted his mondary, riding down the path and out of the forest.

SG-1 quickly followed the man, Daniel riding out last as they went around the dune again. As they rode quickly, he felt the stone in his pocket shake a few times, and he pulled the reins so his mondary stopped. Looking up to the north, Daniel was tempted to ride to Seth's palace, but knew it would be insane to do so without some idea of what he could do to fight the man.

"Daniel!" Jack called, having turned and seen the linguist was far behind.

Shaking himself, Daniel nudged his animal slightly and took off to catch up with the others. The hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood, and he realized there was something wrong at the city. Something that they needed to get back to right away and his spurred his mondary to ride even faster, catching up with Thorcamb at the front without even noticing, so urgent was the sensation.

* * *

When they reached the gate to Philae, Daniel's instinct was proven correct when one of the sentries on a rampart called to Thorcamb that The Ruler was demanding an audience with him in the Council Room. Surprised that the man had the audacity to appear in the midst of his enemies, Daniel followed the leader as he rode hurriedly up the great avenue and to the palace.

As soon as they were all dismounted at the palace stables, Thorcamb led Daniel, Jack and Teal'c inside the palace and through a hall that led to a large room where there was a circular table. Standing in front of what was obviously Thorcamb's chair was a tall, Egyptian looking man.

"You have made me wait," the man growled. He moved towards Thorcamb, and Jack jumped in front of the leader only to have The Ruler walk right through them both.

"I have matters I must attend to," Thorcamb said calmly. "You have a woman, named-"

"I am not here to talk about trivial matters," Seth said, waving his hand. "I have come for my stone."

"I do not have it," Thorcamb said, his face expressionless.

"It is in your city you miserable peasant," Seth hissed, his eyes turning a bright shade of yellow.

"It is nowhere near here," Thorcamb replied evenly. "You are wasting your time threatening me and my people."

"Let me speak to Sam, let me-" Daniel began to say suddenly when Seth didn't reply to Thorcamb.

"I have withstood your insolence for so long," Seth said in a low voice, interrupting Daniel, staring at the leader of Philae. "No more. I will destroy you old man, you and all your warriors." And with that he disappeared, leaving the group of men, Thorcamb and SG-1 to stare at each other.

"The time has come," Thorcamb said after a few moments. He sighed deeply and walked to his ornate chair, sitting down.

"What was that?" Jack asked as the other men gathered around the table.

"I think that was his astral projection," Daniel said quietly. He saw the council members looking at him questioningly and he cleared his throat. "Um, sorry Thorcamb, I know you've got a lot to discuss."

"No, tell us please what this astral projection is Da'niel," Thorcamb said quickly. "Is there any way to keep The Ruler from doing this? It is how he has always appeared to our people."

Before Daniel could reply to that, Thorcamb signaled with his hand and two men set three chairs around the table. He then nodded so SG-1 would sit, and Daniel did so first, his chair at the leader's left.

"Astral projection," Daniel said once Jack and Teal'c were sitting next to him. "Is the ability of a person to project an image of their soul, or just the soul itself outside their body. It's accomplished through meditation, putting the body into a trance-like state. The Native American shamans…" He paused and then said, "People from our world, their medicine men were said to be able to do this."

"Is there a way to stop The Ruler from achieving this?" a man asked across the table.

"Well, the only thing you could do would be to interrupt the trance of the person doing it," Daniel said. "The body of the person though, not the projection."

"Then we must strike at him another way," a middle aged man said.

"Yes, the battle," Thorcamb said. "We must discuss if there might be a way to stop it from happening. The last battle fought on this world was between King Nassor and the first Ruler. We must find a way to stop this if it is possible."

Daniel glanced at Jack, wondering if they should try to leave since they weren't really needed. But before he could speak to Thorcamb, the man beat him to it.

"Da'niel, your General said that you have the skills of a diplomat," Thorcamb said. "You are able to speak with those in conflict with each other?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure what I could negotiate between you and The Ruler," Daniel replied.

"He is right," one of the men said. "There is one thing only that The Ruler wants. The sapphire."

"And we do not have it," another man said.

"No, we don't," Thorcamb said. He smiled slightly at Daniel, who had glanced at him, and he then stood. "I think that we have done all we could to appease The Ruler. We have given him food, animals, goods; all to keep him from our cities." He sighed deeply and said, "If we did have the stone, how could we willingly give it to him? The Ruler would enslave us all as soon as he had the stone in his staff. And if we do not give it to him, we must fight him. It is a quandary and one we have no choice in. The battle must be fought, we must try to destroy The Ruler and be free of the threat of slavery, of destruction. We must vote now for our future."

The room was silent as around the table the council members either placed their right hand on the table or kept it off. When the last man had put his hand on the table; all but five hands were on the dark polished wood.

"Very well, we shall prepare," Thorcamb said. He then turned to Jack, Daniel and Teal'c and said, "Colonel O'Neill, we would welcome any help that you may give me and my council for this battle. But we cannot ask you; any of you; to fight."

"We'll help," Daniel said quickly.

"Yeah, and I think you could use our help in battle," Jack said. "I know a few tactics, so does Teal'c."

"It would be an honor to help your fight for freedom," Teal'c said, nodding his head slightly.

"Thank you," Thorcamb said solemnly, nodding his head at SG-1. He looked around the table then and said to everyone, "We will fight."

* * *

After the incident the night before, Sam hadn't slept and was out on the balcony, watching as the dawn in the opposite direction chased away the stars in the west. Athena had come to her room once the sun was up, providing her with food which she ate little of, and helping her change into another chiton-like dress that was a shade darker than the one before.

At that point, Sam had been tempted to ask the woman to help her try to break the chains with the obelisk, but didn't want a repeat of the night before and didn't want to risk the young woman, who had told her then that she was her handmaid, getting hurt.

Sam had only been a little surprised when Athena had told her Seth had made her her handmaid for when she became The Ruler's queen. Even without that connection between them, Sam found herself feeling very protective of the woman in the short amount of time she'd known her. In the late morning, after Athena had straightened up the room, Sam had asked her about herself. Athena, who was only seventeen, had related that she had grown up in the city of Delos, without a mother who had died when she was born. Sam had then told her about her own mother, and Athena had looked at her with tearful green eyes, saying that she was sorry they had both gone through the same pain.

While Athena had gotten the noon meal, Sam had attempted to find a weak link in her chains. There had been none though, so instead she had wrapped the right chain with the linen on the bed and had tried to hit it with the obelisk again. But she got no further than she had the night before and Athena had run inside the room, telling her fearfully that the metal was too strong to be broken by hand and Sam had finally given up. She had drunk the water on the tray Athena had brought then to placate the woman, and then made her eat the food instead saying she needed it more.

After Athena had finished eating, insisting that Sam eat some of the bread with the meal, two guards suddenly entered the room, holding their staff weapons up and aimed at her once they saw her. The taller of the guards snapped some words at Athena, and she started to walk to the door. But she was apparently moving too slowly, and the guard strode over to her, striking her roughly on the cheek, making her cry out in pain.

"Leave her alone!" Sam yelled, trying to go to the young woman. But the other guard pointed his staff at her, threatening to shock her before she could get too far across the room. "Bastard," she hissed to him as Athena left the room sobbing.

Saying something in the language of the palace, the guard that had struck Athena used a key again to release the chains around the ring. He held them and pushed Sam ahead of him and his fellow guard.

Knowing she had no choice, Sam left the room and walked the path to the throne room. Once at the doorway she faltered before one of the men behind her pushed her hard inside.

Sam's reason for hesitating was a very irate Seth. The man was pacing around the throne room, muttering to himself about something until he noticed Sam was there. He raised his hand and the guards left as the chains and manacles around Sam's wrists disappeared. He pulled her into the room abruptly with his mind before he spoke; still pacing. "I have gone to Philae to make my demands."

Sam was silent, watching Seth as he soon started to walk around her. She cursed inwardly, since he had cut off her only chance to try and escape. But what he said next made her forget about escape for the moment.

"Your… friend Daniel Jackson is not much of a man," Seth said. "If it were me in his place, I would have stormed this palace. He does not even try to make plans to leave. He sits in that Council Room, with my stone while his lover is captive with the man who will soon make her his wife and queen."

Sam was tempted to retort that Daniel was likely forming a plan to rescue her at that moment, but Seth suddenly stopped in front of her, staring at her intently.

"It is time for me to make sure that he does come," Seth said, his smile growing with each word he spoke. "If he hears you calling to him, begging him to come to you, Daniel Jackson will come." And before Sam could react he raised his hand and lightly flicked it upwards, his eyes boring into hers as he held her in place.

Almost instantaneously, Sam felt a flash of intense pain inside her head. And letting out a scream she collapsed to her knees, clutching her head tightly. The pain didn't stop though, and she fell to the floor crying out loud and in her mind, "_Daniel!_" The pain became too much then, and with a short and abrupt shriek she passed out into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

Looking at a map of the area between Philae and Seth's palace, Daniel was feeling a little anxious and he stepped away from Thorcamb and his teammates who were also studying the map. When he opened his mouth to tell them he needed to get some fresh air, he felt a sudden explosion of pain inside his mind and he began to yell as he went to his knees, clutching his head.

"Daniel!" Jack said in shock as everyone in the room hurried over to the linguist.

"Get the Princess and a litter! Quickly!" Thorcamb yelled to the two guards who entered the room when Daniel had started to yell.

The pain was intensifying, and Daniel soon could no longer stay upright, falling down to the floor. He could barely hear Jack asking him what was wrong when suddenly his body jerked back roughly. "_Sam!_" he almost bellowed in his mind and through the room, his mind ringing with the cry of a voice that was so familiar, but so far away.


	8. The Connection

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: I can't remember exactly how zatarc is spelled (zartac?). If I got that wrong please forgive me but I didn't have a chance to check it before I posted this (but I think I have it right).

A/N #2: Thanks so much for the reviews Ashleod (I'm always so glad to see your reviews, your reactions are awesome to read. And I have all 9 seasons of The X-Files on DVD, love that show a lot! I can't wait to see what you think of this one! And thanks again for all your reviews!) and HAZMOT (Wow, the way you analyze my stuff kinda scares me, lol. I just hope that you'll continue to be intrigued/like reading this! Thanks again on all your input, I appreciate it!) I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #3: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Eight  
The Connection

Jack and Teal'c watched from the hall as their teammate was carefully moved from the stretcher; which had borne him to his room; to the bed inside. Jack had an expression of concern on his face while Teal'c was staring at Daniel, looking at him closely.

When Daniel was settled on the bed, one of the healers that had been called up passed the two men. "We will call you, once we have examined him," he said and with that he gently closed the door to the room.

"God, that was terrible," Jack said as he and Teal'c were alone in the hall. "I hope Daniel's okay."

"It is my wish as well Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c replied. "Daniel Jackson will be greatly needed in any effort to rescue Major Carter."

"Yeah," Jack said, sounding distracted. He looked at the Jaffa and said, "You notice how he's been reacting to everything since Carter's been taken?"

"I have," Teal'c said with a slight incline of his head. "And I believe it is because Daniel Jackson is in love with Major Carter."

Jack jerked his head to look at Teal'c; he had started to pace back and forth; surprised at the Jaffa's blunt answer. But he wasn't surprised at the answer itself. Since Sam had been taken the day before, he'd become suspicious, and now that it had been voiced he had to agree. But before he could speak, Teal'c continued.

"And I believe as well, that it is possible that Major Carter feels the same for Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.

"Yeah," Jack replied, again not surprised at that.

"Do you still have feelings for Major Carter, Colonel O'Neill?" Teal'c asked after several minutes had passed, Jack continuing to pace back and forth.

Stopping abruptly at that, Jack took a moment to answer before he actually spoke. "You're thinking of that zatarc thing," he said simply. When the Jaffa nodded he sighed and said, "No Teal'c I don't really feel anything for Carter. I may have when we first met but it wasn't anything close to love. She and I… we're just too different from each other for anything to really work out for too long. But Daniel and Carter though, I think they'd be perfect together." When Teal'c again nodded; this time in agreement; he and the Jaffa fell silent, waiting for the healer to come back out so they would know if their friend and teammate was alright.

While they waited, Jack began to think about his two teammates. Ever since the incident in the map room in Abydos, he had seen the connection between Sam and Daniel and deep down he had thought there might have been something more between them if Daniel hadn't been married. And watching the two grow closer in the past five years, before Daniel's ascension, he had always had the feeling the two would be very compatible together if they ever became romantically involved. Which was definitely the opposite of what would have happened if Jack himself had been the one to start a relationship with Sam.

Once he had gotten to learn more about Sam, Jack knew that it wouldn't be too practical if they had been together; though he wasn't always matter-of-fact. They were just too different from one another, even though they did have a few similarities. They probably wouldn't have lasted for more than two or three months; if even that; if a relationship had been started between them. So Jack had let his feelings for Sam fade, it hadn't pained him to do so, so he knew that he never really loved her or felt anything for her that was more than friendship.

Glancing at the door, Jack started to wonder about Daniel and Sam. If they got out of the situation they were in now alright; and hopefully they would do so without either one of them being hurt, or in Daniel's case, killed; would the two admit their feelings for each other? He hoped that they would, even though there would likely be some objections from the powers that be about two SG teammates romantically involved. Still, Jack knew that if anyone deserved a little bit of happiness after all they'd been through over the years, it was Daniel. He just hoped, again, as the door to the room opened, Daniel and Sam would survive to tell each other how they felt.

* * *

The healer that had arrived inside Daniel's room was checking the linguist as Thorcamb looked on worriedly. He checked Daniel's pulse and his eyes before running a few more tests to check the man's responses.

When the healer had finished he stood up and walked to the leader. "He is alive, he as only passed into restful slumber," he said. "He will awaken in time."

"What has happened to him?" Thorcamb asked.

"I cannot say," the healer replied.

"He was clutching at his head when he fell," Thorcamb said.

"Yes, but I cannot say why," the healer repeated. "I think my lord, that your daughter is better suited to answer what has happened to the traveler," he said, nodding behind the leader.

"Monifa, my daughter," Thorcamb said, sounding relieved. He turned to the healer who was leaving the room as the Princess went to the bed and told the man, "Tell his friends outside that he will be alright, and that he needs rest." He waited for the man to leave before he turned to the bed and then walked over to the bed where his daughter was sitting on the edge next to Daniel. "My daughter?" he asked a little hesitatingly.

Monifa was running her hands around Daniel's head and over his heart; an inch above them; and didn't answer until she had stopped. "It has begun," she said, starting at Daniel. "Here," she said then, her hand above his forehead. "And here," and she lowered her hand to his chest; where her people believed pain originated. "I feel it stretching to him from the desert. The Ruler has opened it between them."

Thorcamb frowned slightly and then sighed. "It is to be expected I suppose," he said. "Will this help Da'niel?"

"If they are made aware of it, yes," Monifa said. She opened her mouth when there was a slight groan from the bed and she turned to the linguist, whose eyes slowly blinked before opening fully.

"S-Sam? Sam!" Daniel yelled, his eyes dilated slightly as he sat up. Once he had done that his eyes focused and he felt a hand on his shoulder and another on his arm. Looking up into the eyes of Thorcamb and Monifa, Daniel calmed down, but he was incredibly confused as he realized he was on his bed. "What happened?" he asked the two who had stepped back once they saw that he was calm.

"What do you last remember Daniel Jackson?" Monifa asked as she stood next to her father.

"I was in the Council Room," Daniel said, sitting up slowly. "I was looking at the map of your planet, and then I felt… here," he paused, touching the middle of his forehead. "Pain, it was as if I'd been shot."

"Do you still feel pain?" Thorcamb asked.

"No, not anymore," Daniel said, sounding a little surprised. "What happened?" he repeated.

"You began to yell in pain," Monifa said. "And you held your head tightly. You collapsed soon after and yelled out Samantha's name before you fell into unconsciousness."

"We brought you here, and my best healer looked at you," Thorcamb said.

"Does he have any idea why that happened? Why I had such pain?" Daniel said after taking that information in.

"No, we are unsure of what has occurred," Monifa said, shooting a look at her father.

"Hey, we heard you talking Daniel," Jack said, coming inside the room then with Teal'c. He walked to the bed just as Daniel began to move, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Whoa, you sure that's a good idea?" he said to his friend, hurrying and pushing on the linguist's shoulder to keep him from getting up.

"I'm okay, no pain or anything," Daniel said. He saw Jack hesitate before nodding and he was able to stand up. He walked over to the window that was nearest the bed and took a deep breath of fresh air to clear his head of any remaining dizziness or pain.

"So, any idea what's going on?" Jack asked, looking at Thorcamb and Monifa. When they just looked at him he nodded and said, "Well, I guess we'll just have to wait 'till we get back to Frasier to see inside that head of yours Danny."

"There's nothing wrong," Daniel replied, feeling completely better at that point. He turned away from the window and walked over to the bed where his glasses had been put while the healer was looking at him. He put them on and turned to Jack. "It was just a-" he began before stopping abruptly.

"Daniel?" Jack asked, becoming worried as the linguist's eyes went wide. "Daniel?"

"Can't… can't b-breathe!" Daniel gasped as it felt like hands were on his throat, squeezing. And he reached up though there was nothing on his neck.

"Place him on the bed!" Monifa cried out. She watched Jack and Teal'c lay the gasping and choking archeologist on the bed, and she sat next to him.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Jack asked as Daniel's face grew red and he was scratching just above his throat.

"We have done nothing," Monifa said, regaining her calm. "Daniel, Daniel what is happening?"

"S-S-Sam! He's c-choking Sam!" Daniel yelled before he clutched at his throat.

* * *

Sam wasn't too surprised to find herself on the bed in the large room when she came out of consciousness. She felt a cold compress on her forehead, and looked up to see Athena gently wiping her forehead. "Athena?" she asked, her voice a little hoarse.

"My lady, I was so afraid," Athena said. "They brought you here and I thought at first you were dead."

"I'm not," Sam said, sitting up slowly. She reached up and touched her forehead saying, "What did he do to me?"

"I do not know, but you must have been in great pain," Athena said, stepping back so Sam could stand up.

"I remember," Sam said suddenly. "He did something with his hand and then it felt like my head was exploding. It was terrible." She shook her head and was about to ask Athena if she had water in the room, when she heard familiar footsteps leading to the room again.

Athena managed to move away from Sam just in time as Seth strode into the room. He barely looked at the young woman, instead going over to where Sam was standing next to the bed. "You are recovered?" he asked, his voice rough and low.

Sam didn't answer, only grabbed at the chain on her right wrist so she'd have something to defend herself with if he got any closer. She didn't want to go through that pain yet again.

"Good, the time has come," Seth said, able to tell by Sam's tense stance that she felt no more pain. "You will contact Daniel Jackson now, tell him that he will come here, that he must come to save you and only the stone will help him in this."

"Contact… what are you talking about?" Sam asked, confused.

"Do you defy me Samantha?" Seth growled.

"I don't know what you want me to do," Sam said warily, watching the man. She could tell that he was being pushed to the limits of his patience and that she had to be careful not to do anything to anger him to the point that he would strike out at her. But she really didn't know what he wanted her to do.

"Contact him," Seth yelled, his grey eyes flashing in anger.

"I don't know-" Sam started to yell back, getting a little irritated. But she was unable to finish as Seth grabbed her and slammed her against the wall before she could react. She felt the pang of pain on the back of her head as it hit the wall and she closed her eyes as she almost saw stars.

"You are now able to speak to Daniel Jackson here," Seth said, his voice still angry. He pointed to Sam's head and said, "You will contact him now, he must come here."

"No," Sam said, knowing that Daniel would be helpless trying to fight against Seth. And remembering her dream, she didn't want him anywhere near the palace.

"Now you mock me," Seth bellowed and he reached up to Sam's neck, holding it in his hands and he immediately began to squeeze.

Sam struggled as she felt her air being cut off, but her body wouldn't move. She looked up at Seth's eyes and tried to gasp for air though there was little getting into her lungs.

"I can kill you," Seth hissed. "It would be so easy to crush your slender throat. But I have a better plan. You will contact Daniel Jackson or I will take him and bring him here. I will kill him in front of your eyes, cutting him again and again with the very tip of my sword. I will make him beg for mercy like a child. Make him beg me to thrust my sword straight into his heart and end his miserable life. All while he is at your feet, so his death will can be blamed entirely on you."

The scenario was too similar to Sam's dream and though she was slowly starting to suffocate, she knew that she had no choice, she couldn't be responsible for Daniel's death, even hypothetically.

Athena, watching from the corner of the room she had pressed herself into, could see that Seth was losing control. Sam's face was red and she knew the woman couldn't last much longer. "You are killing her!" she cried out, knowing she would likely be punished for it later, but not caring.

Looking at Sam, Seth could see the girl was right and he slightly loosened his grip. "You will contact him," he said angrily, staring into her eyes. When she didn't reply he tightened his hands still on her neck and growled, "You will do as I ask."

Sam, feeling as if she might pass out, blinked her eyes once, and the next thing she knew she was on her knees on the floor, gasping for air. She was afraid that her throat had broken by the man's hard grip but with each breath of fresh, sweet air, she knew that she would recover.

"You will contact him as soon as you can breathe again," Seth said, staring down at Sam dispassionately. He started to leave the room when he spotted Athena and snapped, "Attend to your queen," and he quickly disappeared.

Running to Sam, Athena asked, tears in her eyes, "Are you alright my lady?" as she helped her sit on the bed.

Trying to speak, Sam coughed and she watched Athena run to a pitcher and cup. When the girl came back she drank and was glad the liquid was cold water. It soothed her throat and she tried to speak again. "I'm okay, I'll be okay," she said, her voice hoarse once more.

"Are you going to… talk to Da'niel?" Athena asked, taking the cup from Sam then.

"I have to," Sam said. "But I just don't know how I will." She glanced at the young woman who was still looking worried and she got off the bed. She didn't want to call Daniel to the palace, but if she didn't, Seth would bring him and kill him; she had no doubts that he would act on that threat. Seeing no way out, Sam stepped onto the balcony and looking out towards Philae she said in her mind, almost a whisper, '_Daniel?_'

'_Sam?_'


	9. Connection Established

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: '' with italics in between indicates characters talking telepathically.

A/N #2: Thanks so much for the reviews HAZMOT (Thanks again for your review, it really is great to read your opinion on what's going on. Hopefully I can answer your question at the end of your review with this chapter! Hope you enjoy and can't wait to read what you think of this one), Ashleod (I'm sorry that last chapter was a bit of a short one, but hopefully this chapter will make up for it. Telepathy doesn't quite work as you were saying, at least in this case, it's just speaking to one another that they do, not seeing what the other is imagining, still it's a nice ability to have with a loved one! Thanks again, and hope you'll enjoy this one!) and RepliCarter1993 (Hey there, it's always nice to get a new reviewer and it was awesome to read yours! I really hope that you'll stick around! I loved your review, and I had to get rid of anything remotely Sam-Jack as I am a firm Sam-Daniel shipper. And some people can write good stories where there is still some Sam-Jack conflict, but not me, lol. I hope that you'll enjoy this and I see a review from you! Thanks!). And a quick note to some of my reviewers with guns- please put them away, if you need a weapon you can have a 'zat, but only one shot mind you! :D Anyways I greatly, greatly appreciate you readers taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #3: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Nine  
Connection Established

Just as Daniel began to feel unconsciousness creeping up on him, all of a sudden, he stopped choking. Taking in a gasping lung full of air, he could sense the people above him relax as he kept on breathing steadily with each second that passed.

"You are alright?" Monifa asked gently.

"Yeah," Daniel replied, and then coughed as his throat was slightly raw. He saw Jack go over to a pitcher on a table near the door and pour out some water and bring the glass over to him.

"Okay, do you people know what's going on or what?" Jack asked Monifa and Thorcamb, his voice angry. He felt a little helpless, with one of his team members held captive and the other going through something incredibly weird. "I'd like to know what's going on with my friend."

"Jack," Daniel said, get up off the bed. "What's going on, I'm not sure exactly but I think-"

'_Daniel?_'

Freezing in mid-step, Daniel's eyes went wide as he recognized Sam's voice, a soft whisper in his mind. He had only taken a moment of realization before replying, '_Sam?_'

"Hey, where are you…" Jack started to say as Daniel suddenly left the room. He started to follow the linguist, when Monifa stepped in front of him.

"He needs time alone," the Princess said gently.

Jack made a movement to go after Daniel, but felt Teal'c's hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"I believe we should listen to the Princess, O'Neill," the Jaffa said.

"Oh for crying out loud," Jack began. He stopped though when a man ran into the room and anxiously said that Thorcamb was needed, something about The Ruler's army. He was surprised when the leader asked him and Teal'c to follow, and out in the hall he looked over at the stairs to the garden which he'd heard Daniel go down.

"I will watch for him Colonel O'Neill," Monifa said, coming out. "Daniel will be all right."

"Yeah, I sure hope so," Jack said, shaking his head as he walked in the opposite direction of the staircase, hoping that his teammate was alright.

* * *

'_Daniel? You can hear me?_' Sam asked in shock when she heard his voice respond to her tentative question.

'_Yeah, Sam… you… this is weird but, I think we've got some kind of telepathic abilities now_,' Daniel replied, entering the garden. '_But just with each other, when you called me, no one else around me reacted_.'

'_Holy Hannah_,' Sam said, looking up at the sky.

'_Yeah, you aren't exaggerating_,' Daniel said, smiling slightly to himself before he then shook his head and frowned. '_Sam, are you okay? Are you hurt at all?_'

'_No, I'm fine Daniel, Seth, The Ruler hasn't touched me_,' Sam replied, feeling guilty for lying to him, but she didn't want him to be worried. '_All he's done is… open this connection between us, as he put it_.'

'_I'm guessing it was painful enough for you to pass out too_,' Daniel said, surprised at her lie but knowing why she'd done it. '_He hasn't… touched you or tried anything like that?_'

'_Don't worry, he's not going to try until he has that stone_,' Sam said. '_That's why I contacted you Daniel; he's making me try to lure you to the palace here. He wants the stone_.'

When Sam had said that, Daniel had felt a sudden realization go through him, and he reached into his pocket to touch the sapphire. '_Sam, I have an idea_,' he said.

'_Daniel, do not come here_,' Sam said as if he had told her his plan with that simple sentence. '_Especially with the stone. He's too powerful, he'll kill you and with that sapphire…_'

'_This is how it's supposed to happen_,' Daniel replied. '_How the story of Monifa and Hath was supposed to go_,' he had no idea why he'd said that, it seemed to have come from somewhere in his subconscious. But he continued saying, '_I'm coming Sam, to help you out of there and hopefully to destroy Seth and the stone_.'

'_You can't_,' Sam said, immediately worried. '_This man… he has abilities… he's too powerful. The second you walk into this palace Seth will capture you and take the stone_.'

'_I can't risk you being killed Sam_,' Daniel replied. '_And I have an idea of how to get in without The Ruler noticing_.'

'_Don't do it if you aren't fully sure it'll work_,' Sam said, recognizing that she wouldn't be able to talk Daniel out of his plan right away. '_I… I had a dream last night, where Seth ki… I don't want it to become reality_.'

'_It won't Sam, I promise you; we'll both get out of that palace alive_,' Daniel said. '_I have to go, tell Jack and Teal'c and everyone else what I want to do_,' he told Sam. '_If you can, try to get out of there, but I'm guessing that's impossible_.'

'_You could say that_,' Sam said. '_But I'll try the first chance I get Daniel. Be careful_.'

'_You too_,' Daniel said, his voice growing a little tender. He then left for the palace, but was aware that the connection between him and Sam was still open. It was a little uncomfortable but he didn't know how to stop or close it until suddenly he thought of a door closing in his mind, and he felt the link close off instantly. As he entered the hall to his room, he saw that Monifa was waiting there for him.

"Daniel, the others have gone to the Council Room," the Princess said.

"What is it?" Daniel asked, jogging up to her.

"Seth's troops have begun to mobilize," Monifa replied.

* * *

As soon as Daniel stopped talking, Sam let out a deep breath and knelt on the floor. The thought of being able to communicate telepathically with her teammate was incredible and almost overwhelming. But that was the least of her problems. She knew that Daniel was planning on rescuing her on his own. It was something that just came to her, and it terrified her because her dream kept coming up in her mind. She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear Athena walk over to her and didn't sense her until she had knelt beside her. She turned her head to the girl's worried hazel eyes and said, "It's real… I can talk to him in my mind."

"Yes my lady, it happened with Monifa and Hath," Athena replied. "Nassor began the connection after the two were joined together by the holy men. But their link could not help them. You and Da'niel have an advantage."

Sam mulled that over, but she suddenly remembered the young woman's condition. "You shouldn't be sitting like this," she said quickly, making her stand up as she did so as well.

"It's alright my lady," Athena said, watching Sam go into the room. She followed as quickly as she could and said, "You are troubled about Da'niel?"

"He's… he's going to come here," Sam said, unable to stop herself. "He's going to bring the stone here."

"He has the sapphire?" Athena asked in surprise. When Sam nodded she whispered, "But my lady, with the stone, you and Da'niel can use the full power of it. Together you may save us all!"

* * *

Entering the Council Room, Daniel saw that the men inside were all standing around the table, looking down at something on top of it. "What happened?" he asked as they all looked at him. He stepped out of the doorway and into the room, heading for the space vacant at Thorcamb's right.

"You alright?" Jack asked before anyone could answer the linguist. He looked at Daniel closely when he nodded; he was notorious for hiding the actual condition of his health. But Jack could see that his friend appeared to be normal, and he turned his attention to Thorcamb who was speaking.

"We have received word from a rider sent to scout the palace of The Ruler," Thorcamb said. "He has brought us this information."

On the table was a map of a desert and three buildings. Looking at it, Daniel saw that the largest building was the palace. "What are these two buildings?" he asked, pointing to what looked to be two simple, but large, square buildings.

"They store The Ruler's troops," one man answered. The men inside are out now, in formation, ready for battle."

"I was asking these gentlemen where exactly this guy got men when you came in," Jack said to Daniel.

"They are men from the cities of this planet," Thorcamb said sadly, and the men of the council all looked down or away from the table. "There are a number of them who are related to all of us in this room."

"The storms," Daniel said. "That's why Moran was so relieved when the storm ended, why you hid, not because of the storm itself."

"Yes, every month he comes to the forests and takes five men, usually while they hunt," another man said. "From each city."

"How long has he been doing this?" Daniel asked.

"Nearly thirty-five years," Thorcamb said sadly. "He should now have nearly nineteen thousand soldiers at his disposal. Another hundred are those who willingly joined Seth once he moved into the desert palace."

"How many soldiers do you have?" Jack asked.

"We are unsure," a man said next to Teal'c. "There hasn't been a battle fought on our world for thousands of years. Not since the unification of our three peoples."

"But we will soon find out how many we will have," Thorcamb said. He nodded to eight men, dressed for riding, and after they bowed to their leader they then left the room. "Philae herself has three thousand men who will bear arms against the soulless."

"Soul-less?" Daniel asked, his eyes wide when he caught the word. "The men don't have souls?"

"Oh great, zombies," Jack muttered under his breath to Teal'c.

"Yes, when they are captured, The Ruler takes away their souls," another council member said. "They are little more than animals, who will do only as their master bids when he tells them."

"So… is there a way to kill them or should we just go ahead and raise a white flag?" Jack asked wryly.

"Never!" a younger man hotly blurted out, glaring at the colonel, standing up.

Thorcamb raised his hand, and the young man slowly sat back down. "They can be killed Colonel O'Neill," he said. But only by shooting them here directly." He pointed to the very middle of his forehead, and then said, "Our warriors are trained to hit this point perfectly."

"Is it just your staff weapons that work on them, or can anything work?" Jack asked, seeing that Daniel looked incredibly distracted.

"Your Earth weapons would work as well," Thorcamb said. "As long as there's something that will penetrate the skull and the seat of The Ruler's power." When he saw that Jack and Daniel were looking at him in confusion he continued. "The Ruler, taking out these men's souls, must give them his own power, or part of it, to keep them… alive in a way. At the point where The Ruler's energy is, is a marking in silver-gold, the same metal of our weapons. It is in the shape of an arc over a circle."

"Well, we'll help you in any way we can, like we said," Jack said when there was a pause and Daniel didn't say anything.

"We would be indebted to you," Thorcamb said, nodding.

"Thorcamb," Daniel said in the lull in the conversation. His voice was soft but the tone was one of grim determination. "I think that this battle is the one chance I have to get Sam from The Ruler's palace."

"You have a plan Da'niel?" Thorcamb asked.

"Yes, I will need some things though," Daniel replied.

"You make take all that you need," Thorcamb said. To the others around the table he said, "We are at war, information must be kept inside this room. If anything should get out… The Ruler may find out. He turned to Daniel and said, "When your plan is ready Da'niel, you will inform us?"

Daniel nodded and then said, "I need to start preparing now."

"Right, so hopefully you guys will excuse us," Jack said as he and Teal'c stood up, as did Daniel.

"Jack, I can't let you guys go with me," Daniel said slowly.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked, frowning.

"You're needed here," Daniel said. "They can use your help with any tactics for the battle. If you're needed to fight… your marksmanship, both of yours, will be an advantage." He then turned to Thorcamb and said, "Do you have any plans of The Ruler's palace?"

"Yes, Monifa knows where they are," Thorcamb replied. "She will help you with that and whatever else you may need."

Nodding his head, Daniel walked out of the room and as he did so he heard footsteps behind him and he turned around to see that Jack was nearing him.

"What are you doing Daniel?" the colonel asked as he neared the linguist. "You know I can't let you go on what's going to be a suicide mission alone. These people have told me that going to that palace would be pretty much pointless. What makes you think that it would be any different for you?"

Daniel took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes before he said, "I have a chance Jack."

"A chance for what?" Jack asked when Daniel didn't continue. "To do what?"

"For me to get her out of there," Daniel replied. "Jack, what's… been happening lately to me… it's got to do with a, two people from ancient times."

"You mean that story about that Warrior Princess and Historian?" Jack asked. "Thorcamb told me and Teal'c about it not too long before you came in earlier." He paused then, remembering the last bit that the leader of the planet had told him. "Daniel, you're not thinking that you and Carter are those two? Come back to fix everything with this Ruler guy?" When the linguist merely stared at him he snorted and said, "You're kidding right?"

"I don't think I can make you understand Jack," Daniel said, feeling some irritation which he tried his best to push away. With his plan begun, he was eager to get it into motion to help Sam and hopefully the people of the planet as well.

"Then help me understand," Jack said. "So okay, you and Sam are… those people. But they had that stone and you don't… Daniel?" he asked, shocked when a moment later a large sapphire floated into the air between him and Daniel.

"I found it," Daniel replied. "Or it found me… it doesn't matter. What does is that because I have this, I'm able to do things." And he made the stone spin slowly before he pulled it towards him.

Jack found himself speechless, since he knew that Daniel was telling the truth. And seeing the stone move, with the linguist's hand motioning it just before, he knew that he had an advantage. "Well… looks like rocks are good for something," he said as Daniel quickly pocketed the stone. "Okay, so you'll have that to help you… somehow. But I still can't let you go alone."

"I have to Jack," Daniel said, his voice telling his friend it would be useless to argue with him.

"Why? I still don't understand that," Jack said. "Just tell me Daniel, why do you think that?"

"Because I have to," Daniel answered simply.

"Why?" Jack repeated sharply. "Daniel, why?"

"Because I'm the only one who can save her!" Daniel shot back angrily before he could think out his response. "I have the stone and the ability to use its power. That's what's going to help against Seth. If anyone else tried, the second they stepped into that palace they would be killed. That includes you and Teal'c. I can't risk having you guys hurt or worse."

"And who's to say that the same won't happen to you?" Jack asked.

"The battle Jack, he'll be at the battle, but only until I get inside the palace," Daniel replied slowly. "I'm hoping I'll have enough time to find Sam before he knows I'm there and returns."

"It's still a risk to yourself," Jack said.

"But I still have the stone," Daniel said immediately.

"You really think that you can fight this guy and possibly kill him?" Jack asked, giving up, since he knew that with Daniel's stubbornness he'd never convince him to let himself and Teal'c go with him.

"I have to," Daniel said, surprising both himself and Jack. "He's hurt her," he said, looking down at the floor. "Sam told me that he hasn't touched her, but she lied to me and-"

"Wait, what do you mean Carter told you?" Jack asked in confusion.

Daniel opened his mouth to answer, then closed it quickly, realizing what he'd let out. He hesitated, not sure if he should tell him or not, when someone spoke behind him.

"It is what happened when you collapsed Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, stepping up to the two from where he'd been standing by the Council Room, partly listening to his teammates and making sure no one left the room to enter the hallway.

"Um, there's a… connection between me and Sam now," Daniel said, knowing that he had to tell them.

"Connection?" Jack asked, wondering if the next thing Daniel would reveal was that he and Sam could walk through walls.

"Link, connection, whatever word you want to use," Daniel said impatiently. "The point is, I'm able to talk to Sam in my mind, and she can talk to me. It's what happened after I left my room earlier. She contacted me and spoke. And there's something else," he said when he remembered what had happened before his and Sam's 'conversation.'

"Okay, lay it on me," Jack said, bracing himself.

"I think I can feel her pain," Daniel said slowly, softly.

Jack said nothing, since he knew it was true, he'd seen it happen right in front of his eyes. Daniel had been choking, and there had been no external force on him. Yet there had been hands as there were marks on Daniel's throat that he could see; marks that were in the shape of fingers. "So there's nothing I can say that'll convince you you need me and Teal'c with you?" he asked finally. He wasn't surprised when Daniel merely looked at him. Sighing he reluctantly said, "I don't want to do this Daniel, I don't like it."

"I can't risk you and Teal'c getting hurt or killed," Daniel repeated, faltering slightly on the last word.

"It might happen to you as well Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said calmly.

"I don't care, as long as Sam gets away from that…" Daniel trailed off. He shook his head in embarrassment at the emotion in his voice. When he felt calmer he looked at Jack.

"Alright, you can go without us, but you have to take four of the warriors with you," Jack said. He held up a hand before Daniel could say anything and said, 'I'm making that an order. You need some kind of backup over there."

Closing his mouth, Daniel nodded slowly, knowing that Jack wouldn't budge on that point. "Okay, I need to get everything together," he said. "Just promise me that you'll help Thorcamb for the battle." When his two friends nodded, he turned and walked down the hall to the staircase, so he could find Monifa and start gathering everything together. Jack's stipulation bothered him, but as he began to ascend the stairs, Daniel knew that he would be defying the order; he had to if he wanted to keep the four warriors from dying needlessly. His plan thought out, Daniel re-opened the link between him and Sam and told her simply, '_I'm coming Sam, I'm coming to get you out of there._'


	10. Preparations

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: There are a couple of dream sequences in this chapter, they're written in full italics. There's also a mention of rape in the first dream, nothing graphic but I have to warn my readers…

A/N #2: '' with italics in between indicates telepathic (mental) conversation.

A/N #3: Thanks so much for the reviews Ashleod (I'm really glad that you enjoyed the chapter so much, lol, hopefully this time you'll let me know what you liked if you can :D And wow, that's a great compliment 'cause I've read lots of stories I don't want to end but want to read more. Thanks again, and can't wait to read what you think of this chapter!), RepliCarter1993 (I'm glad the gun is gone, but leave the bunnies alone! Lol. I hope that you enjoyed the last chapter and will enjoy this one!) and HAZMOT (Always fun to read your insight on my chapters, and I'm glad that this story makes you think like you do. I hope that as it goes on it lives up to your expectations! Thanks anyways and I hope you'll like this chapter too!). I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #4: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Ten  
Preparations

Standing on the balcony attached to the room at Seth's palace, Sam watched as the second sun slipped lower in the sky; the first one having gone at least a half hour before. She sighed as she looked down at her manacles and chains, feeling a sickening sense of despair. Ever since earlier that day, when Daniel told her he would be coming to try and get her out of the palace, she had been trying to think of a way to get out of there on her own, but it was impossible. The metal of the chains was unbreakable with what little she had at her disposal and that would be her single way out since the only time she didn't have the chains on was when Seth had her in the throne room.

She knew there was nothing she could do to stop Daniel from coming. She had tried to get out herself; she couldn't. She had tried to beg him not to come; he wouldn't listen. Now she was worried- no she was terrified- that when he came either tomorrow or the day after, her dream would come true.

Sam was so deep in thought that when she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye she gave a little gasp and jumped back from him. It took her a moment to recover from the shock, but when she did she felt her stomach twist in horror when she saw the evil grin on Seth's face.

"When the second sun has risen," Seth began, holding Sam still. "Tomorrow my men will march out and fight against the pathetic warriors of the cities. Your other friends who came with you through the ring will be at the battlefield. They will die along with the other men."

Sam fought to keep a calm expression on her face, but there was something else to worry about. She hoped the colonel and Teal'c weren't going to be at the battle as Seth said. But knew that was unlikely and she only hoped they wouldn't be hurt or killed.

Seth continued, sensing Sam's struggle to remain calm and his grin became a smile as he said, "Once I have finished with them I will kill all the men left on this world. The women and children will all become loyal to me, as will all future generations. But don't think I have forgotten about you Samantha. I will secure Daniel Jackson and bring him here to you. So he can watch as I consume my marriage to you. Once that is done, the man will die, painfully, slowly." He laughed as Sam didn't try to mask her fear and disgust and he grabbed her chin with his hand, forcing her to look into his eyes. "You will be my queen and bear my heirs to my throne. And when you have given me a handful of boys, I will slit your thin, pretty throat."

Sam was startled by that, but she knew the man was insane. He wanted her for his wife and a vessel for the birth of his sons. But he also wanted to kill her. She suddenly felt her body being released and she fell to the floor of the balcony in her haste to get away. As she looked up to Seth, she was startled to find he was gone. Looking at her wrists she felt herself trembling, everything he had said really hitting her. "Oh god, oh god," she whispered, knowing that her life and the lives of everyone on the planet and SG-1 would change if Daniel brought the stone to the palace, or even if he came empty-handed.

'_Sam?_" Daniel said softly in her mind.

'_Daniel? What is it?_' Sam asked, her mind still in a morbid frame of mind and she half expected him to giver her terrible news.

'_Nothing, I heard you in my mind you were saying "Oh god." Are you okay?_' Daniel asked, walking to one of the windows of the Council Room where he was with Monifa.

'_Yeah… I was just told by Seth that the battle is going to be tomorrow_,' Sam said, hoping that emotion wasn't transferred by telepathic communication. A moment later she received her answer.

'_There's more Sam_,' Daniel said. '_What else did he tell you?_'

Sam hesitated for a moment, but knew that Daniel wouldn't be satisfied until he knew the truth. Closing her eyes, she finally told him what Seth had said to her, what he was planning to do the next day.

'_None of that is going to happen_,' Daniel said grimly. '_I have an idea of what to do; I'm just getting everything into place_.'

'_Daniel, you can't,_' Sam said urgently. '_You can't risk your life for mine_.'

'_I have to, if anything were to happen to you…_' Daniel said, trailing off. '_But Jack and Teal'c will be alright_,' he said quickly to change the subject before she could try to tell him again not to come to the palace. '_I've talked to Thorcamb, and he's asked them to protect his son, Nassor, at the battlefield, should anyone try to get to the tents where the Council will watch the fighting_.'

'_How did the colonel respond?_" Sam asked.

'_After I spoke with him he accepted the request_," Daniel said. He turned and looked at Monifa behind him and said, '_I need to go Sam, you'll see me tomorrow_.'

'_Daniel… please, I don't want to see you killed_,' Sam begged again, hating to repeat herself. But she was so afraid of her dream she knew she would do anything to keep it from happening in reality.

_'This is the only way Sam_,"Daniel said, his voice firm but still gentle in tone. '_There's no other way to get you out of there. And no other way to help these people from being enslaved_.'

'_How is this going to help…_' Sam began when she realized that he was hoping to somehow defeat Seth. '_Daniel, no_.'

'_I have to go_,' Daniel said. '_It's our chance to fix this. I will come Sam_.' And carefully he closed the link between them, walking over to Monifa.

"Oh god, I can't let him come," Sam said to herself as she knew he wouldn't want to talk to her about the next day anymore. She jumped up and ran inside the room, grabbing the heavy obelisk statue again. And not caring that the guards might come in and shock her, she struck at the chain on her right wrist over and over again.

"My lady!" Athena said, coming inside to find Sam hitting the chain hard. "My lady, stop, you are hurting yourself!" she cried, seeing that blood was starting to smear on Sam's hands as she ran over to her and grabbed her wrist tightly. "You must stop Samantha!" she begged, seeing that her eyes were filled with tears and they were slowly sliding down her cheeks. She felt relieved when Sam let go of the statue and then fell to her knees. Athena hesitated for a moment before she hugged her and then helped her walk over to the bed where they sat together on the edge.

"Tomorrow… he's coming," Sam said, wiping away her tears that she hadn't realized were falling. When she had hit the chain the first time, she had seen Daniel being stabbed in the heart; as in her dream; and she couldn't help thing that it would really happen. When she felt more under control she said, "He's going to try and… stand against Seth."

"Then he truly has the soul of Hath," Athena said. "He believes that he can destroy him."

"How?" Sam asked in surprise. "How can he stand against a man that can do all the things Seth can?"

"The stone," Athena said simply.

Sam stared at the woman in confusion, and Athena merely smiled and got up, leaving Sam to wonder if there was a possibility she was right.

* * *

As night fell, Daniel entered his room and closed the door. He looked at his bed and then walked over to the window that looked down on the garden. He knew he should probably get some sleep for the next day, but he didn't feel tired at all though he'd been busy.

After leaving Jack and Teal'c, he had found Monifa waiting outside his room. The young woman had taken him to the very top of the palace, and in the distance he could just see the top of Seth's palace. There, Monifa had asked about his plan and he'd told her everything he had thought up. The woman had nodded when he had finished, telling him that if he succeeded, it might save her people.

His plan was very simple, but actually accomplishing it would pose possible problems. The next day, when the Council, Thorcamb, Jack, Teal'c and the eighteen thousand and five hundred men; that had come to the city in one day; left for the battlefield, he would be riding out to Seth's palace. Since it took nearly ten hours to get there, he had been given use of the fastest mondary there was. And he would be leaving at midnight to reach the palace by noon, when the battle would begin. There he would sneak inside, dressed in the robes of one of the servants of The Ruler's palace. He would make his way up to the room Sam was being kept in, and set her free. There was just one variable he didn't know what he'd do if it became a problem. Seth.

His idea was based mainly on the idea that The Ruler would be at the battle, leading his soldiers since they had no minds to think of tactics or maneuvers. But if Seth was able to sense or somehow know that Daniel and the sapphire were at his palace and he came, Daniel wasn't sure what he would do. He had a weapon, but with the abilities that Seth had, he had a feeling that they would be of little help. But even so he had to go and try; something in his mind telling him that if The Ruler showed up, he'd think of something to help Sam; even if it meant that he wouldn't be leaving the palace himself. And that was all he wanted, to get Sam out of there.

The rest of the day had been spent with the young Princess. She had found four warriors willing to ride with Daniel that night, and picking the mondary from the palace stables. He had then been taken to the armory of the city where he chose a smaller staff weapon that would fit in the robes he had received after leaving the armory with Teal'c. The Jaffa had insisted that he go, since he was able to suggest what weapon out of the variety of there would be best for the linguist. From then until he was dragged to eat with the rest of the royal family and his teammates, Daniel went over the layout plans of Seth's palace with Monifa. They had spent considerable time looking over every inch; the Princess' powers a great asset as she was able to see some hidden passageways that weren't on the parchments. She had also pointed out which room Sam was being kept in and just before the meal began, Daniel had the final piece of his plan in place.

Yawning, Daniel could feel exhaustion coming over him and he decided to give in and try to get some rest until midnight. He took off his glasses and set them down on the table next to the bed. He laid down, still in his clothes, and he closed his eyes once he was comfortable. Though he'd been tired, he was surprised when he fell asleep only a few minutes later, and it seemed a second after he was opening his eyes; in a dream.

_Daniel found himself entering a room that was large and had murals on the walls. But what caught his attention was the person that he was walking towards._

_"You're set on coming here Daniel," Sam said softly, watching him as he neared where she was standing next to a well. 'You can't attempt it; you know that as soon as you come inside the palace he'll know. He'll come back to-"_

_Daniel had reached Sam as she had started to speak, and he reached up to her face, cupping her cheek so she would stop before saying any more. He watched her eyes widen in surprise and he cupped her face with his other hand, staring intently into her eyes. He received his own surprise when Sam's hands came up to rest on his cheeks and she seemed to be telling him with her eyes that she wanted it too. So without another second he closed the gap between them and their lips met._

_It was as if he'd been struck by a shock of electricity. His whole body tensed up before he relaxed and wrapped his arms around Sam to hold her close. A moment later he felt Sam's lips part slightly, and he carefully slipped his tongue inside. His heart was pounding frantically as he touched her tongue gently with his, and she responded quickly. He almost thought that it was real._

_A few seconds passed like nothing to Daniel, and he reluctantly pulled from Sam, his need to breathe too much. He opened his eyes and looked at her, seeing the emotion, strong in her blue pools. He couldn't stop himself and kissed her again, this time a little harder. He made it quick though, as he moved to her neck after, pressing a tentative kiss to the skin above her racing pulse. He was afraid for a moment that Sam didn't want it but the soft gasp that escaped her lips; her breath gentle against his ear; let him know that he could continue._

_Daniel could taste Sam's skin as his lips went over her neck and it was almost as if his other senses were being affected as his body temperature went up along with his excitement. He trailed down to the hollow of her throat as Sam's fingers tangled in his hair. He pressed a small kiss to the skin there as she shivered in his arms, and he then descended further. Just as he was getting to the point above where the chiton-like dress she wore started above her breasts, something moved and shifted around him, and he was suddenly inside a different room. He heard a voice growl his name and he whirled around, seeing Seth standing next to a large bed where Sam was laying, looking as if she was frozen in place._

_To his horror, Daniel found that he couldn't move either as Seth removed the linen _schenti_ around his waist and got on the bed. Pushing up Sam's dress, the man mounted her roughly, and she shrieked in pain and surprise as The Ruler immediately began to move. Daniel tried to move, tried to free himself from the hold Seth had him in, but it was no use. He watched every moment as Sam kept crying out in pain. Cries that made him think that she was dying. His struggles started again, but all that moved on him was a single tear on his cheek as The Ruler yelled and moved off Sam, who was crying quietly._

_A sword suddenly appeared in Seth's hand, long with a curved blade that shimmered gold in the light. Before Daniel could process it, the man had brought the blade to Sam's throat, and with a smooth, fluid stroke, slit the skin._

"No!" Daniel yelled as his body immediately took him out of the nightmare. Panting heavily, he jumped off the bed, almost running into Monifa.

"A terrible nightmare," the young woman said as she looked at the linguist sadly as he washed his face with water she had brought.

"It can't happen can it?" Daniel asked when his face was dry and he felt more awake. "This dream isn't an… omen of what might happen today."

"No, it is a seed planted by Seth, to lure you, to make you especially eager to go to the palace. I know that he will give Samantha a similar nightmare, to show her she will become his. But it will not happen," Monifa said firmly as Daniel looked up at her in surprise. "The ghosts of the past are there to help us Daniel, you must open your mind and soul to them." She smiled slightly at his surprise and then said, "It is midnight, everything is ready."

Daniel nodded to the Princess before he walked out the door and down to the courtyard of the palace, his jaw clenched tightly in determination.

* * *

It took Sam a while to even think of sleeping that night. After Seth had left her and she had spoken with Daniel and Athena, she had wandered around her room, tempted to try and find a way to escape. But again, it was no use and she gave up, going to the balcony to watch as the stars came out. She had eaten little of the meal Athena had brought her at that point, only drinking the water that was on the tray. She felt anxious, and was worried about what the next day would bring.

But finally, Sam's exhaustion; which she still carried from being placed unconscious by Seth; caught up to her stressed mind and body, and she soon fell fast asleep. Her dream that night starting soon after.

_She dreamt that she was in the throne room, and she watched in surprise as Daniel entered and walked up to her. She immediately tried to tell him not to come to the palace; though why she didn't know since it was pointless to try yet again. But as she spoke, Daniel reached up and cupped her cheek and she was surprised, but pleased as a shock went through her whole body. When he touched her other cheek she stared up at him before she placed her hands on either side of his head. When he pressed his lips to hers, she fought her moan of pleasure at the touch of his mouth on her. Her heart was beating frantically but it seemed to triple as she took a chance and parted her lips ever so slightly. With his arms around her waist, she wrapped hers about his neck; his tongue gently touching hers. And as they moved slowly together, she wished that it wasn't a dream. It didn't feel like a dream._

_When Daniel began to kiss her neck after he pulled away to breathe, she couldn't help but gasp. The touch of his lips was electrifying and she could have sworn her knees were giving out when he kissed his way down to her chest. But before he could get any further than an inch above her neckline, she felt him being jerked away and she opened her eyes, horrified to see that Daniel was being strangled against the wall by Seth. She tried to move, but not surprisingly she was unable to. But she was able to speak still, and she screamed, "Stop! Daniel! Try to fight it!" But The Ruler took no notice as Daniel almost turned blue. She gasped when Daniel was let go suddenly and he fell to the floor, wheezing harshly for air._

_Seth then drew a sword that was on his hip, long, with a curved blade. And Sam watched in absolute horror as Seth grabbed Daniel's hair and pulled his head up, exposing his neck. He placed the curved edge to Daniel's throat, and in one swift jerk of his arm, he cut the skin deeply._

"Daniel! No!" Sam cried, jerking up. She gasped roughly, sighing in relief when she realized that it was a dream. But she shuddered at the memory of seeing Daniel killed and rubbed her eyes, hearing the sound of her chains rattling. "This is still a nightmare," she murmured as she got up off the bed.

Sam suddenly remembered that Daniel would be coming and she ran as fast as she could to the balcony. Though she had no sense of time there on the planet, the color of the sky filled her with fear.

It was morning.


	11. Beginning

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: Again, I'm not sure whether it's zatarc or zartac, I keep forgetting to check!

A/N #2: Thanks so much for the reviews GimmeABeat (Glad to see that you're still reading this story, I hope that when it gets to the battle that you'll like it), RepliCarter1993 (You'll have to keep reading to see what'll happen with them next!), Ashleod (Wow, didn't realize you'd react the way you did to the last chapter, I'm surprised/happy for that, heh. And as I said before you'll have to keep reading to see what'll happen with them!) and HAZMOT (I know there was a mistake in the reviewing, but I know at some point you'll review, so I want to get the thank you out there beforehand this time). I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #3: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Eleven  
Beginning

Walking out of the palace and into the front courtyard where there was a group of people waiting or wandering around five mondaries, Daniel paused for a moment when he saw Jack and Teal'c waiting by one of the animals. He started walking again when they both turned and saw him.

"You're all set Danny," Jack said when the linguist reached him. "All your equipment you asked for; Teal'c and I checked it again for you."

"Thanks," Daniel said with a nod to his friend as he slipped some black fabric on the top of the pack on the mondary's left side. When he turned to face Jack he was surprised for a moment to see the older man holding out a handgun to him. "I-"

"I figure it wouldn't hurt to have both kinds of weapons at hand," Jack said. "And when you give this to Carter that Ruler guy can't stand a chance. I mean, he's not Superman."

Daniel smiled slightly at the heavy sarcasm in Jack's voice and he glanced at him before putting the gun against his hip. He could see the concern in the colonel's eyes, and he felt guilty about everything that he'd been keeping from his friend. But he had the distinct feeling that soon everything would be able to be explained. Shaking away his remorse he said to Thorcamb," Are the men ready?"

Thorcamb nodded and made a motion to the four men who quickly got on their mondaries as Daniel got up on his. "May Mitha watch over you and Samantha, Da'niel," he said, holding the reins of his animal.

"And may he watch over everyone on Philae," Daniel said, nodding to Thorcamb. He watched the leader and Monifa go up to the doors to the palace, and he looked down when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. "What is it?" he asked.

"You'll be okay Daniel, you've got some nice weapons, and your plan is good," Jack said. "You just gotta get out of there as soon as you get Carter."

"I know Jack," Daniel said, smiling slightly. "You better get some rest," he said after a moment. "You've got a job to do later today."

"Right, and you know I need my beauty sleep," Jack said. He patted the mondary on the neck and then went over to the palace, pausing half way when he saw Teal'c step up to Daniel.

"You are unafraid Daniel Jackson," Teal'c commented.

"Yeah… I need, I just want to get her out of there Teal'c," Daniel said, surprised at the Jaffa's statement. "And I am a little… scared, but only that something might go wrong and Sam will be… hurt," he continued, nearly saying 'killed' but stopping himself before he could.

"I do not doubt that you will succeed in returning with Major Carter safely," Teal'c said. He saw there was still a troubled look in the archeologist's eyes and he said in a low voice, "You are in love with Major Carter, Daniel Jackson."

Startled, Daniel looked down at his teammate and for a moment he was going to deny it. But he knew that Teal'c probably perceived a lot more than others, and was probably already aware of his feelings for Sam before they had ever set foot on the planet. So instead he inclined his head to concede the point, but then shook it. "It doesn't matter though, she doesn't feel the same," he said, a little embarrassed to be admitting it.

"I believe you are wrong," Teal'c said. "You must release Major Carter from this evil man. We will help these people gain their freedom." He nodded his head to Daniel and stepped back as the linguist started off to the gate that led out to the city. He watched his teammate ride off into the darkness, knowing already that Daniel would be successful.

Once they left Philae, Daniel and the four men headed north, taking the same path he'd taken the morning before to get to the Stargate. It felt like a lifetime then as he followed two men ahead of him, negotiating through the dim moonlight; two were at the new moon phase, the other two nearly at the same phase, with only a tiny sliver of moon still showing. The ground though, since it was desert, was unobstructed and it allowed Daniel time to think.

At first, he tried to think about what he would be doing once he reached the palace, but soon he began to muse over what Teal'c had told him. He had been surprised at the Jaffa's comment. It was the second time he had been told that Sam might feel something for him. But though he felt a stirring of hope inside him, he pushed it away by thinking rationally. To him, it had always seemed that Sam had had feelings for Jack, and while he'd never tried to ascertain if that were true after Jack and Sam had gone through the zatarc incident, he'd been able to see that something between them had changed slightly. But after that, there had been nothing to indicate that they still felt anything for each other. Daniel still held back though, hiding his own feelings since he thought that, even though it was against regulations for Sam and Jack to be together, they would some day act on their feelings once the military wasn't an issue with them.

At the moment though, it didn't seem like Sam was all that interested in Jack, and Daniel felt a surge of hope as he recalled his earlier thought of Teal'c noticing a lot of what went on around him. Perhaps he'd been able to see something in Sam that told the Jaffa that she felt something for Daniel instead. He closed his eyes, hoping that Teal'c was right. He remembered his dream- before it had become a nightmare- and the way he'd been able to almost taste her on his lips. He groaned under his breath, trying not to imagine what would have happened had the dream proceeded further without changing.

He was surprised when he felt the sapphire in his pocket grow warm, and then start to lightly shake. Daniel shook his head free of the image of his hands holding Sam tightly to his body as they kissed passionately. And almost immediately the stone stopped moving and the warmth went away. He realized then, that somehow his thoughts of Sam; the love, friendship and joy that went with them; were 'activating' the stone, basically turning it on. And he quickly pushed any thoughts of Sam away, knowing that if Seth could sense the stone then it was when it was 'on.' He needed to keep its power off when he reached the palace for as long as he could, it might enable him and Sam to leave the palace without The Ruler coming back. So he turned his attention to what was in front of him, asking the two men ahead, "May we go faster?" In response, all four men sped up, and Daniel in the middle of them nudged his mondary gently, catching up easily as they rode over a low dune. His mind, once he was accustomed to the pace, focused on what he was going to do and trying not to think of the woman he was riding furiously to.

By the time Seth's palace was in sight it was late in the morning, close to afternoon, and Daniel could see a forest about a hundred yards or so from the sprawling building. He rode around the two men in front of him then, and made them and the others stop. "You have done enough," he began.

"We were told to take you to the palace and join you inside," one of the men said, surprised. "We were told this specifically by your leader."

"I know, but it's pointless for you to go any further," Daniel said. "You'll be killed as soon as you go inside. One man has a better chance of getting in and quietly."

"We are warriors, it is our duty to do what we can to help our people," another man said. "And you are our ally, we must help you."

"I must do this alone," Daniel said firmly, knowing he was losing valuable time. "You must go to the battle; you'll be more helpful there." He tugged the reins of his mondary, which was starting to step from side to side, probably sensing his impatience. "Go, please!" he finally begged. He knew that Jack had probably made these men swear to stay with him. But he was pleased when all four men finally nodded and bowed their heads toward him.

"We will go," one man spoke. "May all the gods protect you and guide you." And with that he and the other three men rode off in the direction they had come, leaving Daniel alone.

Quickly, he rode to the forest and dismounted when he was close. Leading the mondary he walked down a path and kept going through it until he could see the palace. He tied the mondary's reins to a low branch and next to a pond. Since the animal had been fed already, all he had to do was make sure it was calmed and not overheated after the ride. It would be his and Sam's transportation back to the city and would be necessary in case either of them was injured in any way and they needed to return in a hurry.

Daniel then went to the pack on the animal's left side and removed the robes he'd put there earlier. He put on the black silk robe that was loose over his body, and then grabbed the short staff weapon that was in a holder on the pack. He slipped it inside his robe and attached it to the belt he'd gotten from Thorcamb. He checked to make sure the staff and gun weren't visible before he took out the headpiece that went with the robes and put it on his head. It was similar to an Arabic headpiece, but it had a length of silk in the front, so there was nothing of his body that was visible. His eyes were covered too, but with thinner silk so he could see but no one else would be able to see his eyes. Ready, he made one last check. Feeling the sapphire in his pocket still, he set off for the palace.

Very carefully, Daniel stopped at the edge of the forest, looking at the palace. Since it faced west, he was now at the back of it. He looked around to see if there were any windows, balconies or walkways where a person would be able to pass by and be able to see him. But there was no one walking by that he could see, and he took the chance, holding his robes tight around him as he ran to the passageway that he and Monifa had discovered. It was a narrow doorway into the palace and he paused a moment to see if anyone had spotted him. When no one came out, which he was prepared for, his right arm out of its sleeve and holding the staff weapon under the robe, he then moved into the dark passage.

He pulled out a flashlight that had been in his pack, and he saw the wall going up at an angle which had notches carved into it. Daniel put the flashlight away and he started climbing. He had no idea how long he climbed, but soon he was nearing the hidden door that opened out on the same floor the room Sam was in. He raised his left foot to put it up on the next notch, when he suddenly slipped and started to slide down.

Before he got too far though, Daniel was able to grab the notches in the stone, which stopped him long enough to put his feet on the small ledge he was nearest. Breathing roughly and sweating under the robe and head covering, he took a moment to calm before he started to climb again. This time he got to the top without incident. He slowly pushed open the panel that lead out to the floor the room Sam was in was on, pushing it slowly until it was open a crack. He peered down the hall and saw the only door that was near him guarded by two men. He paused, wondering how exactly he would get over there without being questioned, when he saw the guards walk down the hall to a window towards the end, their weapons at the ready. When they moved to a second window, he ran to the corner that was across the hall and just a few feet from the door and hid there for a moment before peering around.

The guards were by the door, but they were standing next to it instead of in front of it, looking down the hallway. It surprised Daniel to see that, but he pulled out the staff weapon and squeezed his hands around it tightly. Finally, he walked out into the hall, stepping as quickly as he could before he swung hard, hitting the guard on the left before hitting the other leaving neither one with time to react to him. The men collapsed quickly to the floor and Daniel breathed out slowly in relief.

Pushing the door carefully, Daniel slipped inside and closed it behind him. He drew off his headpiece and tossed it aside, breathing in fresh air. It was then he saw Sam, lying on her side on the floor in the middle of the large room. He threw his robes off and ran to her, kneeling next to her. "Sam?" he asked, worried that she had been hurt. He carefully moved her onto her back, being careful of the manacles and chains attached to her wrists. He winced inwardly at the bruises on her cheek and neck; they were mirror images of the ones on him, in the same areas, though they were much darker on her pale skin. "Sam, can you hear me?" he whispered. He got no response, and he gently touched her cheek, taken aback slightly when she let out a little moan. "Sam?" he said, seeing her eyes slowly start to open.

"D-Daniel?" Sam asked, surprised to find him there, thinking it was a dream until she felt his touch on her cheek; he was really there.

"Yeah, are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Daniel asked concerned, touching the bruises on the right side of her neck. "You were unconscious here on the floor when I came in."

Sam nodded and said, "It was Seth, he came to me this morning, told me he was leaving for the battle. He said... he would come back after and… make me his wife to celebrate his victory."

Shuddering inwardly as the memory of his nightmare came to his mind unbidden, Daniel pushed it away quickly as he helped Sam stand up. As soon as they were on their feet he could see that she was okay, and he suddenly hugged her tightly to him impulsively as he felt a sense of relief as she wrapped her arms around his neck a moment later.

Closing her eyes tightly, Sam could feel a warm travel through her body, chasing away the last of her grogginess that she'd had coming out of unconsciousness. She wasn't sure how long the embrace landed, but when they finally parted she felt a lot better.

"We need to get out of here before someone comes in," Daniel said, looking into Sam's eyes. He looked down at the manacles around her wrists, and he frowned for a moment before he suddenly knew what he needed to do. "Sam," he said quickly. "I need you to help me take these off." He continued before she could ask him what he was talking about, knowing he didn't have time to explain. "Just trust me on this, I want you to imagine the chain link there opening," he told her, pointing to her left wrist.

Sam looked at Daniel skeptically, but when he told her, "Help me," she nodded and looked down at her left wrist. Staring at the chain holding the manacle closed, she conjured up an image in her mind, of it parting and allowing her to take it off. For a moment, she felt foolish as nothing happened, but suddenly a sense of warmth again permeated her whole body and she felt as if she were floating, when suddenly the link snapped open cleanly, and Daniel removed it. "Holy Hannah," she breathed in shock as he stared at the right chain. A second later that one snapped too, and she was freed. "How-" she started to say.

"Later," Daniel said urgently, shaking off the warmth that had flooded his body as he'd stared at the metal. He grabbed Sam's hand and they turned to the room. Before they could get more than a foot away from where Sam had lain, a deep laugh stopped them dead in their tracks.

"I thank you Daniel Jackson, you have brought my stone right to me."


	12. Confrontation

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: I'm not that good with action scenes, so I'm sorry if the parts in this chapter don't really work out, but I did try my absolute best.

A/N #2: Thanks so much for the reviews Ashleod (I was really surprised at the reaction to the cliffhanger in the last chapter, but I guess it means I write okay? Anyways, here's the next one for you, hope you'll like it!) and RepliCarter1993 (Thanks for the spelling, that definitely helps! I hope that you'll like this chapter too!). I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #3: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Twelve  
Confrontation

The fighting was fierce; everywhere there were shots from staff weapons and the sound of the clash of swords. The battle had begun just after the first sun was high above in the sky, and so far it was an even match, neither side giving way.

Jack and Teal'c were in the midst of fighting; thirty minutes after it had started. When they had reached the field they were expecting to remain at the group of tents at the top of a small dune. But when the soldiers of The Ruler had marched out, the heir had gathered a group of young men, and told Thorcamb that they were going to lead the charge that Jack had suggested during the tactical planning. Though Thorcamb tried to make his son remain there was nothing he could do or say. And when the group started to leave the tent, Thorcamb begged his son to at least take Jack and Teal'c with them.

The leader had begged their forgiveness, but he wanted the two to be near the heir still. He told them that he would trust them and no one else to help his son. Though he knew there was a huge risk to himself and Teal'c, Jack had agreed. He could understand Thorcamb's worry for his son, and he had quickly pushed thoughts of his son from his mind as he and Teal'c left the tent with the group of young men.

At first, Nassor, the heir, wanted to head straight for the front line, but Jack had quickly talked him out of it. He pointed to an area where they could fire upon the soldiers coming up to the front line, and for a while they managed to take out a number of Seth's soldiers, but it was harder at the distance they were at and it made it nearly impossible to aim for the mark on the bodies' foreheads. It frustrated Jack, but he kept reminding himself he was helping out Thorcamb.

It looked like the group of young men was busy trying to hold off the soldiers in front of them. But suddenly Nassor had yelled that they needed to get closer and he ran for the front line.

"Nassor, damn it!" Jack yelled in surprise. "Young men," he said to Teal'c, rolling his eyes before they ran after the men. They took a straight path, but here and there were hand to hand skirmishes that the men helped to stop. One of the young men, dressed in robes that were obviously very rich in material, was fighting with a soldier using his sword. Jack, just firing off a shot into the forehead of another soldier, turned and saw the young man down on the sand, a gash across his chest and the soldier he was fighting about to plunge his sword into his chest. Very quickly, Jack fired off a shot into the soldier's forehead, and it collapsed to the ground. "Get back to the tents, you can't fight anymore!" he yelled to the young man who was staring at him in shock. "Go!" And finally the man went, running as fast as he could with his wound to another man from the group, stopping to help him back to the tents.

Reloading his P-90, Jack walked over to where Teal'c had just shot a soldier with his staff weapon. "Okay?" he asked the Jaffa.

"I am alright Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c replied. "I have noticed on that dune, a man who is wearing a mask."

Jack turned and looked over at the low dune opposite the one Thorcamb's tents were on. From where he was he could see who Teal'c was pointing out. In a chariot, pulled by mondaries, was a tall dark-skinned man, holding a wood staff. He saw the mask instantly; it looked like an anteater with a long nose. Just as Jack opened his mouth to say something to Teal'c, the man suddenly vanished into thin air. "Astral projection?" he said.

"I do not believe so," Teal'c said. "It appears that The Ruler has become alerted to Daniel's presence at his palace."

Before Jack could respond to that, a group of soldiers broke through the native warriors, coming towards them. He and Teal'c began to aim and fire, and he hoped that Daniel and Sam would be okay, whatever they came up against at that palace. He saw Nassor suddenly under attack ahead of him, and he ran forward, his concentration focusing entirely on the battle, his worry for his two teammates pushed to the back of his mind as he killed the soldier in front of the heir and moved on to the next one. "At least these zombies die," he muttered, another bullet finding its mark and he and Teal'c plunged deeper into the fray.

* * *

The instant Daniel heard Seth's voice he pushed Sam behind him. He didn't want her anywhere near the man and give him the chance to make his nightmare come true.

"Did you not think it would call to me?" Seth asked, grinning evilly at the two. "As soon as you used it I knew it had come home." He turned his attention to Daniel and said, "You will give me the stone."

Sam grabbed on tightly to Daniel's arm, noticing the gun on his belt. She reached down to take it, when it suddenly flew through the air to Seth.

"I will make sure you are unarmed," The Ruler said. He narrowed his eyes and said angrily to Daniel, "You know I have the power to make your nightmare come true. Give. Me. The. Stone." When Daniel didn't move, he clenched his teeth together before he growled, "I knew you were no warrior when I first saw you. You are a coward, and not fit to hold the stone. If you were a true man you would give me the stone gladly to save Samantha from a fate she will rue more than death."

Daniel grew tense with that threat, but he remained where he was. He tried to tune out Seth's taunts, when he felt the sudden, intense urge to try and hurt the man. But before he could really process that, The Ruler caught his attention.

"I can bring her to me now, and take her while you lay dying in front of her," Seth said, raising his arm.

Something in Daniel snapped, and he started running to Seth, though he knew it was a foolish thing to do. But that intense feeling of wanting to hurt him had taken him over. So he ran, and was a few feet away from The Ruler when something hit him square in the chest and he went flying back to Sam where he landed heavily near her feet.

Starting to kneel down to see if Daniel was okay, Sam felt a force jerk her and she went almost soaring to Seth where he quickly grabbed her and drew his sword, placing it at her throat. She gasped and tried to move from his grasp, but he was holding her too tight with both his arm and mind. She looked at Daniel who was moving around and slowly got up, which she was relieved to see, worried that he might have been hurt when he'd fallen.

Getting up, Daniel breathed in and out slowly, watching as Seth pressed the edge of the blade to Sam's throat and he looked into her eyes briefly.

"Give me the stone," Seth repeated, growling as he put slight pressure on Sam's throat, making her gasp slightly. He was holding her mostly with his mind, so he was able to press a little deeper into her skin without her putting up a struggle.

Daniel was about to give up and take out the stone, since he knew that Seth was capable of moving the sword in a neat stroke. But he suddenly felt the sapphire shaking in his pocket, and he looked at the handle of Seth's sword. He imagined it heating up, growing too hot to the touch. As had happened before, his body filled with warmth and felt a little dazed, like he was out of his body.

Seth felt the hilt of his sword under his hand suddenly grow warm, and looking at Daniel he saw his blue eyes glowing. His anger grew, knowing that the man was using the powers of his stone against him. But before he could move the sword to cut Sam, he let out a yell and let go of it, its handle of silver-gold metal white with heat and giving off a slight glow.

With Seth's grip loosened, Sam was able to run from him and she looked back over her shoulder to see if he'd recovered and was going to pull her back to him. But instead he suddenly flew back against the wall, hitting with a loud thud. Turning to Daniel, she was surprised to see his eyes lightly glowing, and his hands lowering from being stretched out in front of him.

Daniel grabbed Sam as she reached him, but she knelt before he could touch her, and she grabbed for his staff weapon that had been knocked to the floor when he'd been pushed back. "Sam, watch out!" he yelled, lunging at her when he saw Seth grabbing a staff weapon from his waist and aiming for her. Daniel managed to knock her out of the way as three rapid shots hit the floor where she had been. He got up and turned, about to try and grab for his staff weapon when it was pulled away from him and he had to duck out of the way of another shot that hit the floor. Looking up at Seth, Daniel slowly helped Sam up, his eyes never leaving the man who had lowered his staff weapon.

"You have failed Daniel Jackson," Seth said, looking furious. "You are no warrior; your power is pathetic and useless against mine. Give me the stone!"

Daniel looked at Sam, who was looking a little pale, and he knew she had realized that at the moment, there was little they could do. '_Sam_,' he said mentally.

'_Daniel, we-_' Sam began to say, when a growl made her turn to look at The Ruler.

"You waste my time! I will have the stone now, whether you give it to me willingly or not!" Seth yelled, the room seeming to shake with the force of it. He reached out his hand and focused on the pocket where he could feel the energy from the sapphire emanating from. He tried pulling it to him with his mind, but there was resistance. He looked up at Daniel, and saw the man's eyes glowing. He snarled at him and quickly held Daniel still. That done, he took a few steps closer to the two, and again called the stone to him. He could feel it moving; the force of its beckoning making it move, but it wouldn't come. He focused more, and all of a sudden a spark of electricity emanated from the sapphire, striking his hand and making him recoil in shock as he yelled in pain.

The instant that he saw the electricity, something clicked inside of Daniel. It was as if the idea had been deep inside him, waiting for the catalyst of what he'd just seen. He only hoped that it would work and he looked at Sam, realizing quickly that what he was about to do, he needed her working with him for it to be successful. '_Sam, I have an idea_,' he said, opening their link again, which had closed before at the sudden distraction of The Ruler. '_I'm going to need your help_.'

'_Just tell me what I need to do_,' Sam said, a little shocked by what had just happened to The Ruler.

Before Daniel could even begin to explain to her what he had in mind, Sam cried out as she was suddenly pulled to the middle of the room. He frantically tried to pull her back towards him, but it had no effect. "Sam!" he yelled as he saw the chains from her manacles raise up and twist up around her body.

Sam tried to move, watching the chains in horror as they snaked up to her neck. She cried out as they wrapped around her throat, and started to squeeze, her cry ending in a choked scream.

"Take the stone out and place it in my hand Daniel Jackson," Seth said angrily as Sam's choking filled the room, the chains rattling lightly when they pulled tighter around her neck. "If you will not, I will kill her right here, right before your eyes."

Daniel looked at Sam, and for a moment, again thought that he had no other choice. But he quickly got an idea, and moved his head so it was near the pocket the stone was in. He could feel that Sam was getting closer to unconsciousness, he had somehow managed to close off the pain and choking he was getting from her, but he could still sense that she didn't have much time. He needed to work quickly; after he tried to pull at the chains, but they wouldn't move.

"What is it to be?" Seth asked. "Will she die because of you?"


	13. Gone

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: Thanks so much for the reviews RepliCarter1993 (I'm really glad that you're liking this. Also that you're so eager to get to the end, lol, to see what happens next. And I'm pleased that I'm able to take away some stress in your life- always a good thing!), GimmeABeat (Sorry about the cliffhangers, but I'm not the only author who does it. It makes the readers stick around for more and makes it more dramatic! Thanks for reviewing again and I hope you'll like this chapter as much too!) HAZMOT (It was great to see your review, I'd missed you the chapter before last! I'm pleased to see how much my writing intrigues you- I honestly didn't expect to do that with this story, so it's always a please to see what you think. Can't wait to see your review for this chapter) and Ashleod (Wow, what you said was really, really kind, I was pretty floored that you think so highly of my writing. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. And I hope you'll feel better soon!). I greatly, greatly appreciate all of you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #2: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Thirteen  
Gone

"Okay," Daniel said finally. "I'll give it to you, but you have to let her go."

"Give me the stone and I will," Seth said.

"No, let Sam go now or I'll destroy the stone myself," Daniel said in a tone of voice that would have told even a Gou'ald System Lord there was no negotiating.

'_Daniel… don't… don't do it_,' Sam somehow gasped out mentally though her head was spinning and she could feel darkness blurring the edge of her consciousness.

'_I'll be okay_,' Daniel replied, trying to ignore the shortness of breath he felt with their connection open. '_Just be ready to act_.' With Sam's weak okay in his head, he reached into his pocket and as he did so, the chains around Sam loosened and fell to the floor.

Gasping for air, Sam touched her throat and looked up at Daniel, who had his hand out of his pocket, but clenched in a fist. She tried to stand, but she encountered a force that prevented her and she could only sit on her knees. '_Be careful_,' she told Daniel, looking into his eyes, sensing that he was about to open his hand.

'_I know Sam_,' Daniel said reassuringly. And with that he parted his fingers, releasing the sapphire from his grasp.

The stone immediately hovered in the air as Daniel lowered his arm. It moved until it was directly in between him and Seth. As it stayed still in mid-air, a wind filled the room and blew in a clock-wise motion as Seth stared at the sapphire with a hungry look in his eyes. Another wind burst through the doors a second later, and moved counter clock-wise to the other wind.

Narrowing her eyes, Sam watched as the stone began to glow and amazingly another light filled the room from some other source. This one was more golden and flooded every inch of space, but it didn't hurt her eyes and she soon realized that the wind wasn't bothering her either. She opened her eyes fully, and looked at Daniel, wondering what idea he'd gotten. At the moment, he was staring at Seth, and she could tell that he was tense, waiting for something.

"Yesss," Seth hissed as he raised his hand towards the sapphire. He moved his finger in a circle, and smiled deeply in satisfaction as the stone started to spin. He made it stop and carefully pulled it to him. "After so long… you are all mine," he said, his voice dripping with triumph. The stone moved slowly, he didn't want to risk another shock, and the wind was slowing the stone down. But it didn't matter, not much further and he would succeed.

'_Sam_,' Daniel said mentally. '_We need to do it now_.'

'_Okay, what do you want me to do_?' Sam asked immediately, bracing herself.

Glancing down at Sam, Daniel heard a crackling sound and he looked up to see the stone emitting long sparks of electricity. '_Imagine him being shocked, his heart stopping, or him choking. We have to kill him_,' he said, knowing they had no choice. The man had to die or else it would happen all over again in the future.

Sam was a little startled, but knew now was not the time to question Daniel. She looked up at the stone, and closed her eyes at the same time that he was.

A sense of calm filled the two then, and the wind blew harder, stopping the stone a foot in front of Seth. Opening their eyes, Daniel and Sam poured all their concentration into the sapphire, as Seth struggled to pull it to him again. Both Daniel and Sam's eyes began to lightly glow, the blues of their irises brighter noticeably, and there was a sudden gust of wind that seemed to blow in one direction, towards Seth.

The Ruler blinked furiously as the red sand of the desert suddenly entered his eyes. He lost his concentration and his hold on the stone, as well as the weak hold he'd had on Sam, were broken. He felt a surge of anger, knowing that he needed to fight the elements if he was going to finish what his predecessor had failed to do so many years earlier. He surrounded himself with a field of energy to keep the sand away from him, but it only worked for a few minutes before the sand rushed around him again, and something else.

Daniel, concentrating on the sparks of electricity that were still coming out of the stone, imagined them arching through the air and hitting Seth. He imagined the electricity going through the man's body, stopping his heart. He looked down at Sam then, startled to see her eyes were slightly glowing. When she met his gaze, he could see surprise on her face for a moment, and guessed his eyes were the same. He forgot about that as another rush of warm went through him, calming him down considerably, and he looked at Seth. He could feel something in the air around him and, through their connection, around Sam too. Energy building up through his body, stronger than he'd ever felt before. '_Now, Sam!_'

Immediately, Sam threw all the energy that had risen inside her out towards the stone. She had felt the same calm as Daniel, before that energy became noticeable, but she also had the distinct sensation that what they were doing was exactly what they should. It was a strangle feeling, but it was soon lost as she felt the sudden strength of the sapphire; the power inside flowing through her veins. Looking at Daniel as he stared at her, it was as if something exploded inside of her and in his body as well, but she felt no pain.

The sapphire let out a huge burst of light, and immediately after several long, white-hot arcs of electricity shot out. They all struck Seth directly in the center of his chest, and soon other sparks went around, bending to his back as if to hold him in place. He let out a heavy yell of pain, the sudden shock of being hit with such powerful electricity destroying his ability to use his powers. It also entered his heart, sliding through his nervous system and paralyzing him. He choked on his yells suddenly, the electricity filling his throat before finally entering his brain.

More and more streaks of energy were shooting out of the sapphire, the power building up. Power that came directly from Sam and Daniel who were both completely still despite the mini-sand storm that was blowing around them, They were watching Seth, watching in fascinated horror as their power killed him in front of their eyes.

Seth was suddenly able to yell again as the electricity was concentrated entirely on his brain and his heart. He soon stopped yelling as his body became a mass of electricity, each spark that entered him never disappearing or stopping, only growing as more joined them.

The Ruler's body grew brighter and brighter as the wind stopped around him and the crackle of electricity filled the room. A few more sparks, and his body was white-hot with heat, but he didn't combust, or start to burn and smolder. Instead, as if in a wink, he completely disappeared, a heavy yell that seemed to be of pain, anguish and frustration echoed around Sam and Daniel, before there was sudden silence, everything in the room becoming still.

Daniel nearly collapsed onto his knees after watching Seth seeming to vaporize in front of him. He felt exhausted; he had used all the energy that was left in his body after the earlier confrontation with the Ruler, but he somehow found the strength to stagger towards Sam. He walked wide of the sapphire that was still in the air, but no longer shooting out electricity, he still wanted to be careful though. When he passed closest to the stone, he felt a quick surge of energy, and he was able to hurry the rest of the way. "Are you okay?" he asked as he knelt next to Sam. "Are you hurt at all?"

"No, I'm okay," Sam replied surprised that that was actually true. "You? I-I thought you might get shocked too."

"I didn't get touched at all," Daniel said, seeing Sam sit up on her knees slowly, and he noticed that she looked a lot stronger. When she raised her head to look at him, his eyes widened in surprise and he said, "Your eyes… they're…"

"Glowing," Sam said. "What's making them do that?"

Daniel looked over his shoulder at the stone, and was filled with a sudden realization. He turned back to Sam, whose eyes were on the sapphire, and was about to speak when she beat him to it.

"It needs to be destroyed," Sam said looking confused. She had no idea why she was saying that, but she had just felt the knowledge inside her.

"If it's not, this will happen again," Daniel said. "We need to destroy it."

"Will you and I still… be able to talk to each other?" Sam asked as Daniel got on his knees next to her, facing the stone.

"I don't know," Daniel said honestly. He glanced at Sam and saw the dismay he felt mirrored on her face. "We have to do it."

Nodding, Sam looked up at the sapphire and then frowned. "How can we destroy that if it's how we're able to do all these things?"

"Just imagine it shattering," Daniel said. "I'm sure we'll find soon enough if it works."

After sharing a glance, Daniel and Sam stared at the sapphire, still floating where it had stopped, a few feet in front of them. They both began to picture in their minds the blue gem shattering into tiny pieces, focusing the energy they felt rising in them towards it. Almost instantly, the stone began to shake, slowly at first, but gaining speed. A slight wind blew around Daniel and Sam, but they took no notice of it, all their concentration again on their efforts.

The sapphire soon looked like it was splitting into two it was shaking so fast. The light that was inside the core grew brighter and started to shoot out shades of blue light that covered Sam and Daniel though they barely saw it. All of a sudden, everything completely stopped. The stone, the wind, everything. Then there was a cracking noise, sharp and loud, and fissures appeared in the sapphire. Rays of golden light filtered through those cracks, and the blue light grew stronger as more and more fissures spread out over the gem. Then, it finally shattered, breaking apart into tiny fragments that were just barely visible.

At the moment the stone broke, Daniel turned to Sam and covered her head with his own, closing his eyes tightly. He waited until the sound of glass shattering had stopped, and he slowly raised his head, looking over where the stone had been, now gone completely to his surprise. Even the glass shards were gone; as if blown away by the gentle breeze that had suddenly filled the room at that point and soon disappeared.

Sam stood up as Daniel did so, and looked on in amazement at the totally clear floor. With the size of the stone, she knew there should have been some shards of dark blue left behind. But she was having a hard time understanding how everything had happened since Daniel had revived her.

Kneeling right under the spot where the stone had been floating, Daniel was taken aback to find a piece of sapphire there. It was the only piece of it he could see as he scanned the area around him. He reached down and picked up the inch in diameter jagged section of sapphire that seemed to be from the core or the edge of it since as he turned it around he could see part the dark blue flash a pale blue when he tilted it towards the sun coming into the room.

Staring intently at the gem, Daniel tried to destroy it, to see if he still had the abilities even with that small of a fragment. But he felt no calm, no external force providing him with energy, and he knew that the stone was destroyed, its power gone.

It was over.

While Daniel was looking at the sapphire, there was a sudden rumbling sound that seemed to come from the walls itself, and a second after that, the room started to shake. "Sam," Daniel started to say, standing up. His fingers automatically slipped the piece of sapphire in his pocket without him thinking of it. When Sam turned to him from the walls that were starting to fracture, he yelled, "Run!"


	14. Escape

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: Sorry that the last chapter was so short, but I wanted to spread out the action and the climax of the story, not have it all in one or two chapters. This one's a little short too, but after this one they get much longer.

A/N #2: Thanks so much for the reviews RepliCarter1993 (Thanks for the review, here's your answer about what happens next to Sam and Daniel, hope you enjoy!), GimmieABeat (I'm glad you're looking forward to a happily ever after, stick around :D Thanks for the review, I greatly appreciate it!), HAZMOT (I liked your reference to The Last Crusade- my fave Indy movie, hehe. Yeah, Daniel had to break the cycle of Seth, it had to be done. And now that things will move on I wonder if you'll read after this chapter... I guess I'll have to wait and see. Thanks again for review, I really love seeing yours, they're great to read) and Ashleod (First off I hope you're feeling totally better by now. And your questions will all be answered soon just stick around for more! Can't wait to read what you think about this chapter! Thanks again for reviewing!). I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #3: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Fourteen  
Escape

Grabbing Sam's hand, Daniel pulled her towards the door, just as a small piece of the ceiling fell to the floor. He was surprised they could run, but it meant that it wasn't an earthquake. The palace itself was coming down.

As he passed the staff weapon he'd brought, Daniel snatched it up before they came out into the hall. He saw some movement at the other end, and pushed Sam to the floor, just as the two guards he had knocked unconscious fired on them. He immediately raised his arm and shot at the two men, hitting one in the chest and the other in the face. He didn't stop to think about them, instead he and Sam got up hurriedly. He started to run down the other end of the hallway, where the only way out of the building was, when she ran over to the fallen guards. "Sam!" he yelled.

Picking up one the staff weapons, and trying not to look at the guard that had been shot in the face, Sam ran back to Daniel and they continued down the hall. Around the corner was the staircase and they took off down the first flight. Turning around the first landing, they came upon a figure being held by their arm. Sam instantly raised her weapon and shot at the guard, killing him and setting the person free. "Athena!" she cried, running down to the pregnant woman.

"My lady!" Athena cried, her faced covered in dust. "He is gone!"

"We killed him, you have to come with us," Sam said, taking her hand.

"We need to move!" Daniel said, seeing more guards coming up the stairs and the ceiling cracking above.

Turning, Sam pushed Athena behind her and fired at the first man who neared. He went down, and she shot at the next, ducking a shot that came towards her. She heard the sound of another weapon being fired, and glanced to see Daniel had just shot the third and fourth guards. She shot the last man and turned to Athena, taking her hand again and ran with Daniel down the stairs once more.

Daniel had to shoot at five more men, taking out three, while Sam ran up next to him to help and she took out the other two. They reached the bottom floor then and he ran with Sam and the young woman into a huge throne room. He stopped, looking around in surprise as he tried to remember the layout of where they were. He looked across the room at two doorways, three feet apart. He quickly saw the layout in his mind, and he reached over to Sam next to him to start running for the right doorway. The sound of a staff weapon preparing to fire stopped him as he grabbed Sam's hand, and he turned at the same time that she and the young woman did to see a guard standing in the doorway they'd run in from, a few feet in front of them.

The next few seconds seemed to pass in slow motion. The guard's finger moved to fire, his weapon aimed at Sam. Daniel was able to shoot his staff before the shot was all the way to them; eventually killing the guard. Athena screamed as soon as the guard fired, she moved to block Sam, the shot hitting her square in the chest.

"Athena!" Same cried, righting herself from her dive to the floor. She knelt next to the young woman, studying her wound. "Oh god," she whispered, hearing her gasp for air, breath rattling. "Why…?" she asked, tears burning the backs of her eyes.

"I… s-saw one… of us w-would leave this place… alive," Athena gasped as Daniel appeared in her field of vision. "It must b-be you."

"You can't die," Sam said, fighting her tears. In the short time she'd known Athena she had grown attached to her, feeling like the young woman was her sister. "We'll take you back to Earth, you'll be fine. You and your child."

Athena shook her head, feeling blood well up into her mouth. "Go," she said as commandingly as she could. "I have helped you… as much as I c-could my lady… You must go… go and live free as I never will… You, you must tell him…" she struggled, glancing at Daniel.

"Sam, we have to go," Daniel said, having been watching the ceiling in case it started to fall. When he got no answer he glanced at her and said more urgently, "Sam!" though he didn't want to leave the young woman behind; he knew there was no hope of saving her with the wound she had received.

"Go Samantha,' Athena said, smiling gently. "If you should e-ever tell… your children of me… I hope you will tell them, I-I was loyal until th-the end." A small smile appeared on her face as she lay back on the ground, and with a whistling breath, died.

"No… Athena…" Sam whispered, knowing that it was futile, but she didn't want to let go of the young woman. A loud crash shook her and she looked through the doorway to see the staircase past it crumbling.

With a quick look at each other, Sam and Daniel got up and ran to the doorway on the right side at the opposite end of the throne room. As they ran, the ceiling began to fall, and they both looked back before speeding up as fast as they could go. They burst out outside and down the staircase that led to the desert surrounding the palace, dust shooting out from behind them. They didn't stop though and kept on going until they had reached the forest fifty yards from the palace, going in several feet before a loud rumbling made them stop and turn. Panting heavily they watched as the last walls of Seth's palace fell to the desert floor, sending up a high cloud of dust above and all around where the building had been. Looking at each other in the sudden silence, Sam and Daniel knew they were both thinking the same thing.

This time it _was_ over.

* * *

At the moment that Sam and Daniel were concentrating on the sapphire's power to kill Seth, Jack and Teal'c were still on the battlefield. They had no idea how many soldiers they'd killed, since it seemed like their numbers were endless. Amazingly, they hadn't been hurt, and Jack started to think that the 'zombies' were being directed to shoot or kill only the natives. But as far as he knew, none of them had died. All he encountered lifeless on the sand were the soldiers of The Ruler. It was confusing, but he had little time to really think about it as he shot and felled another solider, Teal'c doing the same next to him.

Jack looked over at Teal'c, who was aiming for another soldier and commented wryly, "They do die at least."

"You doubted the word of Thorcamb?" Teal'c asked, firing his staff weapon and felling another enemy.

Not answering, Jack instead yelled to the Jaffa, "Too bad this isn't one of those zombie video games." He raised his P-90 at a soldier coming towards him, and when he was about six feet away, he was about to fire. But the soldier suddenly collapsed to the sand, and he lowered his weapon, surprised.

Teal'c straightened his staff weapon next to Jack as the soldier he'd been about to fire on fell as well. He looked with the colonel all over the battlefield; all of Seth's army was strewn across the sand.

"Are they… dead, dead?" Jack asked as Teal'c knelt next to a soldier they'd walked over to. He had his rifle aimed at the man's forehead, but he didn't move as Teal'c touched his neck.

"There is no sign of any kind of life," Teal'c said.

The sound of cheering caught Jack's attention, and he turned his head to see the warriors were raising their swords or staff weapons in the air, their cries of joy obvious as Thorcamb on top of the dune raised his arms.

"They have done it!" the leader yelled so loud that it echoed through the field. But he was looking at Jack and Teal'c specifically. "Da'niel and Samantha have vanquished The Ruler. We are free!"

The men in the field cheered again, and they quickly got to work, bringing out stretchers for the wounded. As they did so, Jack and Teal'c made their way to Thorcamb, stepping around the bodies of soldiers who already seemed to be decaying.

"Anyone dead?" Jack asked when they reached the leader.

"It appears only one man has been struck down so far," Thorcamb replied. He saw the surprise on Jack's face and the raised eyebrow on Teal'c's and quickly explained. "We have an herb, taken before a battle; it will lessen the severity of a wound, just once. Those wounded here… they were stuck more than once." He shook his head and looked away to the men on the field putting the hurt onto stretchers and carrying them to where wagon-like vehicles were. He then looked back at the colonel and Teal'c and said, "We owe you a great debt Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c. You have protected my son and you, Colonel, you saved my daughter's betrothed from death."

"Well, all in a day's work," Jack said, nodding his head to the man. "So now that this Ruler guy's gone, can we go check on Daniel and Carter?"

"It-" Thorcamb began to say when a man ran over to them.

"Forgive me my lord," the man said, bowing. "But we do not have enough men to help transport the wounded. There are more than was expected."

"I guess we're helping," Jack said as Thorcamb frowned and glanced at him and Teal'c. "What're we going to be doing?"

"We need extra hands to lift the stretchers, and to drive the carts back to Philae," the man answered.

"Let's go to work, I'm sure those guys are feeling pretty lousy and could use the attention of your doctors," Jack replied and he and Teal'c followed the man to the stretchers on the sand.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said as they started to pick up a stretcher a moment later. He was turned to the north, where there was a cloud of dust rising high in the air.

"Damn it," Jack swore, running over to where Thorcamb was standing, looking at the dust with a few of the council members. "Is that the palace?" he asked.

"Yes, it has collapsed," Thorcamb said solemnly. "Da'niel and Samantha have destroyed everything of the Ruler."

"They might have been in the palace," Jack said.

"It is unlikely." Thorcamb said. "They were never meant to die."

Jack wanted to comment on that, when a council member called the leader over to him. Left alone, the colonel looked at Teal'c and said, "They got out of there."

"I believe Daniel Jackson and Major Carter are starting to make their way to the city even now," Teal'c replied.

Nodding, Jack walked with the Jaffa back to the stretchers and as they began to gather the wounded, both he and Teal'c wondering about their two friends and if they were even still alive.

* * *

As the dust started to slowly dissipate a few minutes after the palace had fully collapsed, Sam leaned against a tree behind her, breathing a little roughly after their run. She felt relief that it was over and she was free, but sadness at Athena's death. "What now?" she asked Daniel who was watching the reddish-brown dust.

"I have a mondary, it's tied up in the forest behind the palace… what's left of it," Daniel said, looking a little shocked. Everything that had happened had caught of with him finally and he felt dazed. "We'd better go," he said, shaking himself as the dust finally settled in the desert. He waited for Sam to stand and together they walked out to it.

Skirting around the ruins of the palace, nothing more than a tall pile of rubble, Sam and Daniel went to the forest where the back of the building had been, Daniel leading the way to where the mondary was. It had lain on the ground during the day and looked up as the two neared it, shaking its head before starting to stand when Daniel grabbed its reins.

"I could only get one," Daniel said apologetically as he helped Sam up onto the back of the saddle and released the reins from the tree branch. "They needed all the mondaries they could get for the battle."

"It's okay, I can ride sidesaddle," Sam replied as Daniel got up in front of her then. "The colonel and Teal'c… do you think they're okay?"

"They are, they swore they wouldn't fight," Daniel said. "Hold on, we need to head out." He felt Sam wrap her arms around him and a swallowed a little harder than normal before he nudged the mondary and it set off at a trot down the path to the south west out to the desert.

When they reached the sand, Sam felt the animal speed up and she tightened her grip on Daniel, thinking of something as she saw the positions of the suns. "Are we riding into the night?" she asked him.

"No, there won't be any light from the moons," Daniel replied. "We'll go as far as we can until it gets dark and stop for the night. We'll contact Jack then, I brought my radio."

"So these packs-" Sam began, looking down at the roll of blankets that her legs were draped over.

"For when we stop," Daniel replied. He felt Sam nod, and he sped up a little faster. He felt relief that she was alright, despite the fact that she had new bruises from their tangle with Seth, but there was something that bothered him. Something that he knew he shouldn't have been feeling when they had won but couldn't help. Where he and Sam going to go from there…


	15. Night

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: This chapter (and the ones from here on in) are very Sam/Daniel so if you don't support that 'ship or are disgusted by it, then please do not read and then send me some scathing review about my choice in ship.

A/N #2: There's sexual situations here, nothing heavily graphic but it's why I chose to rate this story as M. If that isn't your cup of tea then don't read! That being said, for those of you that do read on it's not very good here as I'm used to writing only NC-17 scenes, so having to tone down for this story may have messed me up, I just hope it's not terrible!

A/N #3: And as promised the chapters from now on are longer, so a longer review would be appreciated- but only _if_ it's possible for you readers to do so!

A/N #4: Thanks so much for the reviews RepliCarter1993 (I sent you a note about your comments on the story which I hope you got. I think this chapter will satisfy your desire for some Sam/Daniel romance, and I hope that you'll enjoy it!) and Ashleod (First off, I meant to say that most of your questions would be answered in 14, there's still a bit more of the story to go :D And wow, thanks so much for the compliment on my writing. I really appreciated that as I'm writing what I hope will be a novel at the moment! I really can't wait to see what you'll think of this one. And thanks again for your review, it was great to read!). I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #5: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Fifteen  
Night

The suns had disappeared past the horizon for almost an hour before Daniel decided it was time for him to find a forest that he and Sam could stay at for the night. He rode to the nearest one from where they were at that point, only a mile or so away, and slowed down the mondary as they entered it. The path into it was clear enough so he could ride on it, but he let the animal walk, not wanting to risk an unseen branch striking them.

"There's a clearing," Sam said, pointing to their left. She let go of Daniel as he pulled the mondary to the stop near it and then got off. She slid down after him as he watched; being careful her dress didn't pull up.

"He put you in that?" Daniel suddenly asked once Sam was off the mondary.

Nodding, Sam was a little surprised, but by no means displeased, when his eyes went down her body. She felt a rush of heat when Daniel looked back up at her and his blue eyes flashed a darker shade before he suddenly turned to the animal. She felt surprised at herself then, and embarrassed at her reaction to his obvious checking her out. To distract herself she asked, "Anything you want me to do?"

"Um, just help me lay out these blankets," Daniel said. "And then we'll get a fire set up before we unpack what we need." He handed Sam two blankets in a roll and he went to untie the other one he'd brought. As he worked at the knot of the rope holding it to the pack he wondered what had possessed him to ogle his friend as he had done. He couldn't stop looking at her he realized, as she spread out the blanket on the moss-like ground cover. She looked incredibly pretty… no, she looked beautiful in the very Greek-like dress and he remembered his dream from the night before. Before it had changed into a nightmare, Sam had been wearing a dress exactly like the one she now had on, but it was a shade or two lighter in color. But he still recalled the texture of the dress as he'd held her tightly, kissing her passionately and he closed his eyes tightly.

"Daniel?" Sam asked when she finished laying out the two wool-like blankets, looking up to see that he was still next to the mondary.

Almost jumping but stopping himself in time, Daniel shook his thoughts from his mind and took the blankets from the top of the other pack. He walked over to Sam and felt his cheeks start to grow warm as he remembered what he'd been thinking, and that he was right next to who those thoughts had been about. But he knew that he was going to catch Sam's attention if he kept thinking about her, so instead he switched to thinking about what he needed to do next, which helped when he said to her, "Go ahead and sit, I'll get the fire and everything else ready."

"No, I can help," Sam said quickly, going over to him. She was surprised when he stopped her and she said, "I'm okay Daniel," knowing that he wanted her to rest after everything that had happened. "You-"

"You were nearly killed Sam," Daniel said, a painful feeling emanating from the middle of his chest as he remembered Sam's face as she was being strangled by the chains. He glanced at her neck as she touched the new bruises she had from that and he reached over, touching her arm. "I know you're okay," he told her, staring into her eyes. He wasn't even aware that his voice had taken on a gentle, almost tender quality in its tone but Sam did. "But could you rest for just a little? I don't want you to do more than your body can handle and suddenly collapse and get sick." He let go of her and then smiled slightly saying, "If you did then you know Janet will be all over me when we get back home; with her needles."

Sam smiled at that and said, "No, she'll be all over me for doing something that would make me collapse when I should have rested. I'll sit though Daniel, so you don't have to worry."

Daniel nodded, relieved, and he turned to start gathering wood when he felt her grab his arm. "What?" he asked when she looked at him in concern.

"I just noticed, you've got bruises too," Sam said, looking at Daniel's neck. She reached up to her own, touching the bruises there. And she wondered if she looked at her neck, would she see the bruises there mirroring his.

"It was… an incident," Daniel said quickly, not wanting to elaborate. "I'll be right back with the wood." He left her then, going out of the clearing and picking up any twigs or branches he found on the ground. He went quickly as it was getting colder with nightfall, and he returned to where Sam was sitting around fifteen minutes later. He piled the thickest logs together on a patch of bare ground he had cleared. He had a lighter, but it was packed on the side of the mondary. So he walked over to it and opened the pack on the left, taking out a radio on the top. He clipped it onto his belt next to his staff weapon then brought out a bag of food he'd been given at the palace. Once he found the lighter towards the bottom of the pack, he closed it again, patting the animal gently.

"Did you contact the colonel?" Sam asked when Daniel walked back to her. She watched him kneel at the pile of wood and then lit the dry leaves he'd stuffed around the bottom. The flames quickly caught and soon the fire was crackling as it started to consume the thick branches.

"I'm going to right now," Daniel replied, sitting next to Sam. He turned on the radio, glad to see that she had stopped rubbing her arms against the chill night air. "Jack, it's Daniel," he said once he'd turned the radio on.

A burst of static and then the voice of SG-1's commander came over the other end. "Daniel?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, we're here," Daniel replied.

"Did you get Carter? And manage to get out of that palace without getting hurt?" Jack said.

"We did, we're unhurt," Daniel replied. "For once," he said, smiling when Jack laughed. He looked over at Sam and saw the smile on her face. Turning his head towards the fire quickly at the sudden rush he'd gotten looking at her, he said," What about you and Teal'c?"

"We're just fine," Jack said, not wanting to bring up the fact that they'd been in the battle. "Watching the city celebrate. Kinda like watching _Return of the Jedi_ at the end, but no furry little Ewoks here. You're on your way already Daniel?"

"We should get there late in the morning tomorrow," Daniel said. "Until then, you should try to contact Hammond; the Stargate should be back to normal now."

"Yeah, we did that already earlier," Jack said. "Told him about the battle and that you two were okay, but not back yet. And that Thorcamb and the Council guys asked us to stay. Apparently they want to throw a feast for us."

Daniel smiled a little at the obvious pride in Jack's voice, but he wondered if Jack and Teal'c at the battle had done something, protected the heir from a soldier trying to harm the young man. Instead of asking his friend about it, he said, "I'm sure they'll give us a good meal Jack."

"Right, well, make sure you and Carter get back here ASAP tomorrow," Jack said. "Sleep tight kids."

"Yeah," Daniel said, sighing. He turned off the radio and got up to put it away. He went to the other pack on the mondary, taking out a kind of feed bag for the animal. That was all that had been in that pack; besides the robes he'd worn that were now gone; and a place for the staff weapon on his belt. He took off the saddle then, a special one Monifa had found him that was for a second person to ride pillion, and began to remove the reins on the mondary's head before rubbing it down with a length of linen.

Watching Daniel, Sam thought about all that had happened since they had stepped through the Stargate. She was amazed by it all, but something was bothering her. She allowed herself to think about it, and quickly realized it concerned her feelings for Daniel. As she watched him attach the bag to the animal's ears and murmur to it as it ate, she felt her heart start to beat a little faster, and she looked away, down at the bag of food that he'd placed near her. She didn't think she should dwell on about all she felt for him then, there was enough on her mind already, and she pushed away her thoughts as he came back to her once the mondary was settled for the night.

"We should eat," Daniel said. "And you should probably get some sleep."

Sam was about to protest, but bit back her response. Despite her desire to appear normal, she was tired. All those times the Ruler had placed her unconscious and made her exhausted had still not gotten out of her system. And she still felt the fatigue from earlier. So she nodded slightly and took some of the bread that Daniel took out of the sack of food.

As he and Sam started to eat, Daniel glanced over at her and saw that she was looking at the cup of water she had poured from the canteen he had given her. "Sam," he said then. "I think we need to talk about what's happened." He was surprised when her head shot up, but he didn't comment on it, saying instead, "About what happened today in the palace, in that room."

At first, Sam had had the crazy idea that Daniel might say something about he felt for her, but she quickly told herself that it was a foolish one. She still didn't think that he could return her feelings, in spite of what she had been told. Pushing that thought away as fast as she could, she looked at him and said, "You were able to control the stone, make it float in the air."

"Yeah, that stone, it has-" Daniel started to say.

"I know. S… the Ruler told me the story about the Princess and the Historian," Sam interrupted. "But it was incredible to see it up close. Can you still do that?"

"No," Daniel said. "When we destroyed the sapphire we destroyed the power that we had from it."

"We?" Sam asked. "You mean if I'd been around that stone I'd have been able to make it move in the air; control it?"

"And other objects," Daniel murmured. He then said, "I don't know how it happened exactly, but we were able to use the stone's power to destroy the Ruler. Even the stone itself."

"God, if we still had it, the impact it would have on modern science…" Sam said, sounding amazed. But then she glanced at Daniel and said, "Um, sorry, I forgot about the story for a moment," feeling a little awkward and saddened as she recalled Athena.

Studying Sam's face, Daniel realized that she was thinking about the young woman who had been with them. "Who was that girl… Athena?" he asked.

"She was my 'handmaid' she said she was called," Sam answered, sighing sadly. "She'd been assigned by the Ruler since I was supposed to be his… queen."

Daniel frowned at that, his stomach turning in disgust again at the mere thought and he quickly changed the subject. "He took a woman?" he asked.

"By accident," Sam replied. "Athena told me she was dressed in men's clothing to go hunting when she was caught in a sand storm."

"She was pregnant when she was taken," Daniel stated. He was surprised when Sam shook her head, and then realized with horror when the young woman had become impregnated. "She was carrying his-" he started to say.

"No, she was… there were other men, five I think she said who took her after the Ruler finished with her," Sam said, her throat dry and hurting with every word she spoke.

"Then it's likely that he was still-" Daniel said.

"No, she said that he wouldn't be able to create a child with any woman, only by me," Sam said. She saw the look of absolute revulsion on Daniel's face and nodded slightly. "I just wish I could have saved her… why did she have to jump in front of me?"

Daniel knew that she was speaking rhetorically so he didn't reply. Instead he reached over to her and laid his hand on her arm. "I'm sorry Sam, you got close to her," he said simply.

"Yeah, she was like a little sister to me…" Sam said, slightly embarrassed as her voice shook, but only for an instant. "In that short amount of time that I knew her." She felt the backs of her eyes burn, but didn't cry, pushing the urge to do so firmly away.

Squeezing her arm gently, Daniel moved his hand and then began to eat again though he wasn't hungry. He and Sam sat in silence for the rest of the meal, both thinking intently to themselves about everything that had happened in the past few days.

* * *

A half hour or so later, Daniel was still sitting by the fire, this time though he had his staff weapon on his lap and was silent, listening for anything out of the ordinary. Nearby on the blankets, Sam was laying down though she wasn't asleep. They had said little to each other after they finished eating, still trying to process everything and getting through the shock.

Sam, though she still felt tired, found that she couldn't sleep. She had kept her thoughts about Daniel at bay all that night, and now they were starting to come back, surprisingly loud in the silence around them. She watched him from the darkness where she was laying outside the light from the fire. She shifted slightly, laying on a few blankets and covered with another, and knew that if she didn't face her thoughts, really think about them, then she probably wouldn't be getting any sleep.

What was foremost on her mind concerning the linguist was the fact that the Ruler had said that Daniel was in love with her. She had no idea if that was true, and it bothered her the most. Despite what had happened, she was more interested at the moment in finding out if what she'd been told about Daniel's feelings for her was true or not than resting. She still thought it was the latter, she really didn't think he would be interested in her at all. Realizing that she wanted to ask him if it was all true, she was too nervous, no scared, to do it. Which seemed a little foolish to her, with her military training and everything she'd been though, a little matter of asking her friend if he loved her was a frightening prospect. More terrifying than facing down a barrage of hostile Jaffa or a System Lord. Embarrassed at herself, Sam suddenly decided that it wouldn't hurt to just ask Daniel. Even if he said he didn't love her, she could always say that she knew that, and pass it off as nothing. But what would she _feel_ if his answer was that? She decided, after a sickening sensation of her heart dropping, to just ask and she would worry about the answer and her reaction when she'd heard it. She pushed off the blanket covering her and stood up.

Daniel turned his gaze from the fire to Sam when he heard the rustle of the blanket covering her. He watched her walk over to him and get on her knees by his side. She looked so serious that he asked, concerned, "What's wrong?"

"When I was in the palace, the Ruler told me something," Sam began, trying not to let her voice shake from nervousness. "Something about you. I need to know if it's true or not."

"What did he say?" Daniel asked, very confused.

"That…" Sam started but faltered. She gathered her courage to continue and said, "That you're in love with me Daniel," her voice trailing off until it was almost lower than a whisper.

His eyes widening, Daniel was taken aback, out of everything she might have said, he wasn't expecting that. He looked into her eyes, and was further surprised to see a mix of nervousness, confusion and hope. He swallowed and then opened his mouth to speak. He found that he couldn't quite get any words out, to his amazement, and he knew he was very nervous too. What would Sam's reaction be when he told her? He could see that she was looking a little disappointed and so he decided to go ahead and speak. "It's true Sam. I-I-I'm in love with you," he said softly, stammering slightly as his anxiety grew.

After a moment of feeling like her heart was sinking to the ground, when Daniel spoke those five words Sam instantly felt elation and a little relief too. She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. The way he was looking at her, she could almost feel her body trembling in excitement and desire, more so when he cupped her face in his hands, and started to lean over. The seconds seemed to stretch out into hours as he got closer to her, but finally, his mouth was on hers, and she closed her eyes, tears of joy burning her eyes.

The first touch of his lips on Sam's was thrilling, even more so than when they touched. He moved his palms from her face and wrapped his arms around her as her lips responded a second after he started to kiss her. He felt her arms wrap around his neck only a few seconds after he was holding her close, and he felt an instant desire rise in his body, which he tried to ignore as best he could as he focused everything on their kiss.

The instant that Daniel had kissed her, Sam had immediately thought that everything would change now that they had crossed the thin line between friends and lovers. But it didn't really bother her, not as much as it would have if she wasn't experiencing an intense joy and desire that ran through her entire body, making her literally burn. She also knew, as she and Daniel held on to each other more tightly, that she needed to tell him that she felt the same for him, but it was hard as she felt every inch of her tingling from the sensation of his lips. She had no idea how long they were kissing, but suddenly she felt him pulling away from her, staring into her eyes worriedly. Her heart pounding and tongue flicking out to lick her slightly swollen lower lip, she knew that it was definitely her turn to speak.

Daniel suddenly had to wonder if Sam didn't feel the same for him. She had kissed him back, but he wasn't sure that meant she loved him too. So he ended it to find that he was nervous again, watching her intently.

"I, I know that there are reasons why we shouldn't be together," Sam began after she took a moment to think of what she would say. "The fact we're teammates one of the bigger ones. And I've thought for a long time about that, but now… it really doesn't matter," she said, her heart clenching in guilt as Daniel looked hurt, and then confused. "I'm in love with you Daniel. I've been for… for a while now." She smiled at the look of absolute joy that appeared on his face and she almost laughed when he pulled her to him. His lips were on hers in an instant and she felt this kiss was a little harder than before as soon as it started. She moaned slightly when his tongue slipped over her lower lip, a little hesitatingly, and she wasted no time in parting them both for him, her arms tight around his neck again.

Carefully, slowly, Daniel began to explore Sam's mouth, delighted when she began to respond to him eagerly. As their tongues began to move against each other, he felt like his heart was throbbing heavily, so hard that it might come right out of his chest. The taste of her mouth, no, he knew it was her soul, was almost overwhelming, intoxicating. He reached up then and touched the back of her head and stroked her hair gently, pulling away from her a moment later.

Breathing a little hard, Sam opened her eyes and looked into the bright blue depths of Daniel's. She leaned forward and kissed him this time, gently pushing her tongue in his mouth. Her body was even more on fire, and she pressed herself against him without really noticing it. But when he groaned suddenly in response to her body almost melding with his, she froze before leaning back.

"Um," Daniel said, looking a little shell-shocked. "I… Sam, I love you, but, we… we should, I mean you should probably go ahead and get some sleep," he said, though his body was telling him to go further, to cross that last line of their relationship and never look back. He let her go as she nodded in agreement and he watched her get up to go back to the makeshift bed of blankets. As he stared at her, he felt something telling him to push away his caution even stronger this time. He knew that things would change now that he and Sam had admitted their feelings for one another, and his heart was telling him there was no reason to hold back. Swallowing roughly, he stood up abruptly and said, "Sam."

Turning, Sam wasn't too surprised when Daniel strode over to her quickly and gathered her in his arms. She had been able to see the desire in his eyes when they had parted, and part of her had hoped he might act on it, even though they had just told one another they were in love. But she forgot about that as he kissed her hungrily and pushed away any doubts left in her mind about what they were doing, listening fully to her heart which was telling her to respond to everything Daniel was doing.

Carefully, Daniel slid his hand around Sam's back, wondering if he would be able to take the next step and if she would allow him to. He was thinking so deeply that he was startled when he heard Sam's voice in his mind; he'd thought that the link between them had been broken with the Ruler's destruction. But obviously he was wrong.

'_I would have stopped you if I didn't want this Daniel_,' Sam said, taking a chance that they might still be able to communicate mentally. She smiled a little when he pulled back and stared at her. "I love you, I trust you," she said softly as he ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek tenderly.

Nodding, Daniel kissed her again, and he moved his hand to her back to start undressing her. But Sam reached behind her and guided his hands, placing them on the ribbon that held the dress closed at the top of the bodice. He moved from her lips and went down to her neck, pleased when she tilted her head back immediately. He tugged on the ribbon and managed to untie it quickly before pulling it away from the silk. He raised his head after he'd been kissing her for a good while, having gone over her neck almost twice. And staring into her eyes he pushed the straps of her chiton down, his heart thudding hard in his chest again as it slid to the ground.

Sam was surprised when Daniel kept his gaze on her eyes as he helped her lay down on the blankets. She bit her lower lip as he set the dress aside, and then came back to her to remove the last of her clothing and she was naked to his eyes. She thought that he might not look at her, but then his eyes slowly traveled down her form. His reaction to her was almost instant, and she felt herself heating up even more under his gaze, his eyes darkening noticeably.

"Oh god Sam," Daniel said, sounding like he was in awe. "You're so beautiful." He leaned down as she smiled in reaction to his words and he kissed her quickly. Up until then their kisses had been slower and passionate but never rough. This time though he plunged his tongue into her mouth as his lips nearly crushed hers, and he rolled his tongue around hers roughly, feeling her respond almost instantly to him.

Sam couldn't feel the cool night air around them as she held on to Daniel tightly, her head tilting back and forth. She only felt the desire in her body that manifested physically as heat, and the feeling of Daniel's body, still dressed, on top of her naked one. She pulled away from him and pulled up on the black t-shirt he had on, telling him in her mind, '_You're overdressed_.'

Daniel nodded, after ending the kiss, and smiled slightly before he got up on his knees next to Sam. He pulled his t-shirt off all the way and wasn't surprised when she sat up and touched his chest gently. He groaned a little under his breath and watched as her hands ran down to his pants and he nearly started to pant at her touch as it made his skin burn and tingle heavily. He was tense as she carefully opened the fly of his trousers, and he reached around to the back of her head and kissed her hard on the lips for a few seconds before he pulled back. "Lay down," he said softly as he took off his glasses and set them aside, out of the way.

Sam watched as Daniel finished undressing, and when he moved to hover above her body she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, that his body; which she looked at as he moved above her; was the most amazing one she'd ever seen, but she found that she couldn't speak. But looking into his eyes she saw that he knew; which wasn't too surprising; he knew her so well already.

Daniel lowered himself then, kissing her briefly as he slowly entered Sam's body. He clenched his teeth together tightly as he joined them together and he looked at her to see that her eyes were shut tightly, the expression on her face turning into one that was a mix of surprise and need. He continued until their bodies were completely as one once he knew she wanted more, and knew he wouldn't be able to stop anyways, she felt too good around him. The sensation of it almost made him think he was having another dream. But as Sam opened her eyes and he saw the joy, and even a sated glint there, he knew there would be no waking up. He started to move then, groaning as she gasped under him and wrapped her legs around him, tightening her arms around his neck at the same time. '_Sam…_' he said, realizing that their link hadn't closed at all since she had spoken. He felt her even trembling slightly, but he knew how she felt as the pleasure she was experiencing raced through their connection and through his entire body. Lowering his head, he buried his face into her neck as he continued to move slowly and would have stayed there for some time if Sam hadn't touched the back of his head.

Gently, Sam moved Daniel to her lips as she realized that she could feel the pleasure that he was feeing as he thrust, adding to what she herself was already feeling. They shared a long, lingering kiss that was gentle before she pulled back and pushed again on his head. She was pleased when he didn't try to stop or move his head away; instead he went down to her breasts as she led him there.

Glancing up at Sam, Daniel pressed a gentle kiss to the tips of both breasts before he traced around the skin with his lips. He felt her nails lightly digging into his back in reaction, and he opened his mouth, taking her left nipple between his lips. Slowly, he began to suck and he knew that nothing would ever fill him with greater pleasure than being with Sam like this. He had forgotten everything that wasn't contained to them together on the blankets, and he didn't care to remember the outside world at all while he made love to her.

Her head tilted back slightly, Sam had her eyes open but she saw nothing. She could only feel; Daniel's mouth and hand on her breasts, stimulating both. His body moving above hers slowly, giving her more ecstasy than she ever though was possible for a person to feel as he continued to move gently. She had no idea how long they'd been there together, it all seemed like time had stopped and there was no one else in the galaxy but them; moving together as she matched his pace with her body. She felt his head move from her breast, lips nuzzling her nipple lightly before his head appeared above hers. As he leaned down to take her lips hungrily she felt a rush of emotions as she heard in her mind repeatedly, '_I love you Sam… I love you so much…_' And she clung to Daniel tighter though she held him firmly already. Her body rushed into a peak suddenly, and she cried out his name mentally and out loud as she seemed to explode.

Daniel wasn't too far being Sam in reaching the same heights of pleasure and he too called out, almost yelling her name as she had, his voice echoing through the forest with her cries as they shook together, feeling all of each others pleasure in that climax. Once sated, they relaxed, almost collapsing as their bodies shook slightly in the aftermath, but neither one of them noticed it as Daniel slowly raised his head.

"You… I can't believe…" he tried to say, but trailed off as she touched his lower lip.

"I know," Sam said with a smile. She sighed as he pulled back then, and she expected him to start getting dressed as he sat up on his knees. To her surprise though, he instead lay down next to her, pulling her against his side as he covered their sweat-slicked bodies with one of the blankets. She found that once she was settled against him she felt as if she belonged there; the same sensation that she'd had as they'd made love; and she let out a sigh of contentment, finding for the first time in her life she was completely so.

Looking down at Sam, her cheek pressed to his chest, Daniel knew how she felt. After Sha're's death, he'd never thought he'd be able to be happy with another woman. But then came his descension and the realization of his feelings for Sam, and then what had happened in the past few days. He was very glad to be proven wrong for something like this. Turning his head, he pressed his lips to her forehead and whispered to her, "I'll always love you Sam." He wasn't surprised when she raised her head and kissed him softly before repeating the same words to him. He grabbed her and rolled her onto her back, lowering his lips to hers as he touched her, intimately and slowly, and once their bodies had completely reawakened, he made love to her once more, the fire and starlight reflecting off their entwined bodies.

* * *

Throwing another log on the fire, Daniel poked it with a long branch he had, watching as the orange-yellow flames engulfed the dry wood. He looked down at his lap where Sam was sleeping. It was sometime after the planet's midnight, halfway between it and dawn and he was dressed, keeping watch with his staff weapon next to him.

After he and Sam had made love a second time, they had laid together in each other arms, getting their strength back when he noticed she was falling asleep in his arms. He had made her get dressed back in the chiton and he had started his watch. He had sat next to the blankets, wanting to be close to her. Before she had lain down though, Sam had gone to him and laid her head on his lap, Daniel touching her shoulder as she slept.

He was still amazed at what had happened; he'd always thought she would never consider him more a friend, instead thinking of him as a little brother. But as he'd sat in front of the fire, the shock wore off. He had to wonder though, what they would do now. He definitely didn't regret their lovemaking, but wondered if they should have moved so fast. Under the circumstances things had just evolved as they had. If they'd been on Earth instead of in the middle of the forest and very much alone after going through what they had at the palace, he probably would have dated her, at least a few times, before they took that next step. Or maybe they wouldn't have. He had no way of knowing how things could have gone if it had been different and it didn't really matter, now that he knew how Sam felt about him.

Daniel froze suddenly, as something cut into his thoughts. It wasn't a sound but a sensation, something that told him someone was watching him. The fire, burning brightly for its size, suddenly dimmed and he looked past it, seeing two figures on the edge of the clearing. His hand, instead of reaching for the weapon, remained where it was. He somehow knew that the figures meant no harm; they weren't able to hurt Sam or him physically in actuality; and when they neared slightly, he recognized them immediately with a shock.

He was staring at the Warrior Princess and the Historian.

_You have done what we could not Da'niel Jackson_, the woman said in Daniel's mind, her lips unmoving. _We had to see you before we departed to the gods_.

'_You're… how can you be there if we're holding the reincarnation of your souls?_' Daniel asked mentally after he had looked down at Sam to see if she was awake. She merely shifted a little before lying still, and he laid his hand on her shoulder gently.

_Our task is completed_, the Historian said then. _Our home is free, the Ruler can never return. It is why we have returned time and time again to life, but there was never any chance for us to destroy the sapphire and the Ruler_.

'_Then, you're gone_,' Daniel said. '_From me and Sam_.'

_Yes, there is no need to remain_, the Princess said, smiling. _We are pleased though, that you have found each other even after the horror of the Ruler. We have come here to tell you, Da'niel Jackson, that you have our blessing and our gratitude for all that you have done for our home and our people. And our blessing on yours and Samantha Carter's love. It will last, forever, just as ours has these many, many eons_.

With that the two figures vanished, and Daniel blinked a few times as the fire flared up again. He heard something, it sounded like the wind, but it seemed to be telling him something. Reaching into his pocket, Daniel withdrew the piece of the sapphire that he didn't even know he'd placed there. He stared at the edge of the sapphire and watched in wonder as it changed shades- from dark blues to pale blues and back again. And he knew then what the message had been. Smiling slightly, he pocketed the gemstone and looked at Sam, gently caressing her hair before he sat back against the stone behind him, and waited for the rising suns.


	16. Return to Philae

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: Here's a translation for the language in this chapter:  
- _b'yilaz_ 'leaf of life'

A/N #2: Thanks so much for the reviews RepliCarter1993 (I read back that part of the story that you quoted and I'm not entirely sure why I wrote that. Likely a mistake and I'm sorry about that. Besides that I was really pleased to read your reaction to the chapter, and I just hope you'll keep liking this story), HAZMOT (I was nervous about your reaction, but I see I needn't have worried at all, lol. I was really happy that you enjoyed it and found it tasteful and profound which I really didn't think I'd done! It's always a joy to read your reviews and I hope you'll keep on for the rest of the story, though I don't think I write all that well, heh. Anyways, thanks again, so much!), GimmieABeat (First off I'm glad you like Sam and Daniel together :D And the answer to your question will come up in this chapter! Thanks for review, and hope you'll keep on doing so!) and Ashleod (Well, I was waiting for your review and your reaction and you did not disappoint :) I was so glad you commented on the 'post sex scene' as I was worried about that. And I was so scared the part with the Warrior Princess and Historian would be seen as corny or something, but I'm so glad that I was wrong! I just hope that my future sex scenes meet with similar approval to you as I count your opinion highly for this story! And unfortunately I'm still working on my novel so I have no title to give you yet, only that should it ever be published it'll be in the Mystery section of the bookstore lol. Anyways, hope you like this chapter too, can't wait to read what you think about it!). I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #3: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Sixteen  
Return to Philae

Blinking, Sam felt warmth on her face, and for a moment still half asleep, she thought she was still in Seth's palace. But she looked around and saw that she was in a forest. She very quickly recalled the night before, and got up from under the blanket, wondering where Daniel was. She scanned the clearing, but couldn't see any sign of him. She could feel the first inkling of concern, but then heard something a little bit in the distance. Quickly standing up, she went through the trees, where there was a faint path and she soon saw Daniel ahead of her. She stopped just behind a tree, watching him hold on to the mondary's reins as it drank from a small pond. To her surprise, he was signing in a low voice to the animal in what appeared to be French and she smiled.

Daniel seemed to sense that there was someone behind him and he turned his head. He smiled as he saw her hidden in the shade of the foliage above her and said mentally, '_Morning Sam_.'

"You could tell I was here," Sam said, smiling as she came out to where he stood. She felt her cheeks heat up for a moment as his eyes raked down her body before looking back into her eyes. "I was wondering where you were," she said as the mondary suddenly raised its head, neighing.

"Sorry, I was hoping you'd wake up after I came back," Daniel said. "I wanted to make sure that the mondary was ready before we left."

"Was I asleep that long?" Same asked, looking up towards the sky to see if she could tell the time.

"It's only been a few hours since the first sun came up," Daniel replied. He was watching her, and letting the reins go he took a step closer to her so she turned to face him and cupped the back of her head, kissing her passionately. He felt her hands on his chest after a moment, and he wrapped his arms around her until he pulled away. "Morning," he said again, his voice a little deeper than normal.

Licking her lower lip as she tried to recover from the suddenness of the kiss, Sam nodded and then replied. "Morning," she said, smiling as Daniel grinned slightly before he let her go.

"Are you ready?" Daniel asked as he grabbed the reins on the mondary that was still next to him. "If we're late getting back to the city you know how much Jack is going to be on my case."

"You're right, we'd better go," Sam said as he took her hand and they walked back to the clearing. As they were walking, she looked over at him, and his neck. She saw that the bruises she'd seen the day before were still there, fainter, and she wondered again how he'd gotten them when they were identical to the ones on her neck. She was tempted to ask, but they had reached their camp by then and Daniel made her sit with him to eat some dried fruit and bread for a short breakfast.

After they had eaten, Daniel and Sam packed up everything they had used for the night. And after Daniel had filled the two canteens he'd brought with fresh water, he helped Sam onto the mondary. He climbed up in front of her, and as soon as she was holding on to him he took off down the path and out into the desert.

Her arms tight around Daniel's chest, Sam found her mind wandering back to the night before. Everything had been like a dream; Daniel's telling her he loved her, their kiss and everything after. But it was real, her body hadn't lost the satiated feeling from their love making yet, and she felt a lot stronger than she had the day before. But now that she knew without a doubt that she wanted to be with Daniel, she had to wonder what would happen once they retuned home.

Sam knew that she and Daniel would have to tell the Colonel and Teal'c about the change in their relationship. And they also would need to inform General Hammond. She was worried what the reactions would be. There were no regulations that stated a relationship was prohibited between a member of the military and a civilian, but as she and Daniel were on the same team, there might be some protest at their being together. One of them might have to leave SG-1 or else they might be asked to end their relationship. Sam knew that the latter would be impossible. Even after just one night with Daniel she knew that she could never just willingly stop loving him. So one of them would have to leave the team. Instantly, she decided that she would be the one to leave if it came to that. She hated the thought of having to, but to choose between SG-1 and the man she had been in love with for almost seven years… her choice was obvious. Not easy, but obvious.

Besides that, she also had to wonder what the future would hold for her and Daniel. They hadn't really spoken of it, but she could imagine things working well between them. As friends they were already so close, and he understood her like no other man she had been interested in had.

Tensing for a moment, Sam suddenly realized how she had worded that in her mind. Interested. Not loved or even liked. It reminded her of what Daniel said while he'd been suffering from addiction to the sarcophagus. How she had never really known love. And now thinking about it after knowing that Daniel loved her and had shown her in his gentle, very tender lovemaking the night before, she knew that he was right.

Jonas, Narim, Martouf, and even to a lesser extent Jack. All these men she had had respect for. But had she ever loved them, in all sense of the word? Glancing at the man in front of her, she had to say no; a resounding no. She laid her cheek on Daniel's shoulder, amazed at how simple it was. To know that she would change her career by leaving SG-1 for him and know that Daniel was the only man she would love for the rest of her life. It amazed her, but it also made her happy, and she hoped that Daniel felt the same way for her. She knew that it was something they would need to talk about once they returned to Earth.

'_You okay?_' Daniel asked Sam then, the wind around it made it impossible to talk verbally. He had felt her tense behind him for a second, and he could sense that she was thinking deeply.

'_Fine, I'm just thinking_,' Sam replied quickly. She squeezed Daniel gently and then asked, '_When do you think we'll reach the city?_'

'_In at least three hours, maybe four_,' Daniel replied. He felt Sam nod and then the link closed. He was grateful, as he had been thinking when he had noticed her unease, and he wanted to continue his line of thought which he couldn't do when he was worrying about her.

He started to think once more once he was sure Sam was okay. He had been brooding on what would happen once they told the rest of SG-1 about their relationship, and when they told the general as well. He was hopeful that there wouldn't be any negative repercussions or reactions to the news, and while there might not be from the SGC commander, those higher in position would likely have objections. He knew already that he would leave the team, had decided that long ago already. What he would do after that if it came down to his leaving SG-1, he didn't know, but what he did know was that he would gladly do it to maintain his relationship with Sam.

That gave him pause. He and Sam hadn't really talked about what they were going to do once they got home. What they would do together. He wanted to be with Sam for a long time. He'd had a while to think about it, ever since a bit after his descension. And he wanted… everything with her. He just didn't know if she would want the same. He made up his mind then, that as soon as it was possible he'd talk to her about where they would go from there. But he was worried as to how she would respond to the question. But he had an idea, as they kept riding through the desert, that she would share the same dreams he'd always had of their future together.

* * *

It only took three hours for Daniel and Sam to ride to Philae as they didn't stop from their campsite to the city. They neared the great gates around it, and the doors opened instantly, the lookouts at the top waving down to them. Entering the city, the two were a little surprised to see the main avenue crowded with people, celebrating still and throwing flower petals in the air that covered the street and sidewalks. Daniel had stopped the mondary just at the start of the avenue, and the people nearest them had turned and fell silent when the gates had opened and they'd ridden in.

As the people soon started to turn towards them from the distance, Daniel felt a sudden embarrassment as they started to cheer. He looked over his shoulder at Sam, seeing that she looked discomforted too. He turned forward and nudged the mondary gently as the people began throwing petals at them, cheering unendingly as they slowly made their way up to the palace.

"Our liberators!"

"Our Princess, our Historian! You have returned to us!"

"We thank you! You have saved our people!"

Sam, looking down at the people around them, smiled a little as they cheered. She couldn't quite hear what all of them were saying, but she could tell what they meant. It embarrassed her a little to see how heartfelt everyone was, but she was glad that they were finally free. She noticed a young girl standing on the side of the street, and as she watched the child threw a nosegay of flowers up to her. Smiling, she nodded her thanks before Daniel was able to speed up a little as the avenue cleared ahead and the mondary began to trot. Looking at the flowers, she was surprised to see that the bigger of the two kinds there were was almost the same shade as her dress. And the smaller ones were the same pale blue hue that her 'aura' had been around Daniel. She shook her head then as the mondary rode over the bridge and into the palace courtyard where a small crowd was waiting at the door to the palace.

"So you guys catch the party outside?" Jack asked with a smile as Daniel stopped in front of him and Teal'c. He watched as Daniel climbed down from the mondary and then turned to wait for Sam to get off. He could see quickly that there was something different about them. The way they both looked very happy and how Daniel took Sam's hand before she touched the ground. He grinned slightly, and then said, "Nice get up Carter. You okay?"

"Yeah, we got a little banged up, but I'll be fine," Sam replied. "And I was put in this dress."

"Da'niel, Samantha," Thorcamb said then. "We are so pleased to see you both unharmed. And we are thankful for what you have given to the people of our world."

Daniel and Sam shared a glance and then nodded at the leader before Teal'c spoke up.

"There is much you have to tell Daniel Jackson, Major Carter," the Jaffa said. "But I am pleased also that you have returned safely."

"You guys look a little beat," Jack said then, noticing the fatigue on Daniel's face. "Think we can let them clean up and rest before the feast?" he asked the leader.

"Yes, but I hope Da'niel, that you will tell my council and myself what happened at the palace," Thorcamb said.

"I will," Daniel said, relieved for the chance to rest. "I'll be in the council room in an hour."

While Thorcamb replied to that, Sam felt a hand grab hers. She looked down to see a little girl, about eight or nine years old, smiling up at her.

"My mother wants you to come speak with her," the girl said shyly.

Looking over at Daniel, she met his gaze and told him, '_Tell the colonel I'll be at that meeting too_.'

Nodding slightly, Daniel turned to Jack and said, "Sam will be there at the meeting."

"Alright," Jack said, realizing that his two teammates still had the ability to speak telepathically. He glanced at Teal'c as Thorcamb led Daniel up to the palace and said wryly, "This should be interesting."

* * *

Washing his face in a bowl of water an hour later, Daniel felt better and more alert. He had slept for a while after bathing; an interesting experience in a wooden tub that had been brought into his room; but at least he was clean. Drying his face with a length of linen he raised his head at a knock on his door. "Come in," he said, placing his glasses on his face.

"Welcome back Daniel," Monifa said once she had entered. "You and Samantha have done it."

"Yeah, amazingly we did," Daniel said. "Are you here to take me to the Council Room?" he asked.

"Yes, and my father wants me to stay, in case there are any questions," Monifa replied. "Are you ready?"

"Is Sam there?" Daniel asked as he walked to the princess and they walked out of the room.

"No, my mother gave her some herbs," Monifa said. "To help her sleep."

"Did Sam know she was being given those herbs?" Daniel said, surprised.

"Yes, my mother had to spend some time to convince her to drink the brew. But it was necessary after all that Samantha has been through…" Monifa said gently.

"You know what's happened to her while she was at the palace?" Daniel asked.

"Yes, but I cannot tell you Daniel," Monifa said. "That is for Samantha to do if she chooses." By then they had reached the same floor the Council Room was on, and before they got too close to it she stopped, making Daniel do so as well. "I know that you have told her your love for her." She smiled when Daniel looked down at the floor and she continued. "And she has done the same. I can only hope that you will have the chance to do all that the Warrior Princess and Historian never did. It is a hope my people have you know."

Daniel nodded, he understood that the natives of the planet, waiting for the prophecy of the Princess and Historian's reincarnation to come true would have hoped that if they were successful in destroying Seth they would then have the life together that the original Historian and Princess hadn't. It embarrassed him still, so he quickly walked down the hall to the Council Room. Inside he saw all the members were seated and Jack and Teal'c were in seats to Thorcamb's left. He moved to the second seat to the leader's right, waiting until Monifa had sat before he did so as well.

"Da'niel, we are interested in hearing what happened to you when you went to the Ruler's palace," Thorcamb began.

"Actually Thorcamb," Jack said quickly before Daniel could speak. "I'd like to know what happened to the four men that I sent with you."

Frowning, Daniel took a moment to consider his answer. He had hoped that somehow Jack wouldn't find out about that, but now he had to explain. "Jack, they would have made it harder for me to get into the palace," he began.

"Then you should have left three of them outside to keep watch and left one of them to go with you," Jack replied.

"I didn't want them to be killed Jack," Daniel said firmly, looking at the colonel. He nearly smiled when he heard the man grumble under his breath, something about stubborn archeologists who thought they knew everything, and then looked around the table. "Once I reached the palace I entered the passage way that was pointed out to me by the Princess…"

And with that Daniel went through everything that had happened to the point where Seth had appeared. He was interrupted by Jack, who looked a little astonished at what the he'd just said.

"So, let me get this straight," the colonel said. "You were able to break open this metal using nothing but your mind?"

"And that sapphire I had Jack," Daniel added quickly.

"Still… that metal is pretty strong," Jack pointed out.

"Virtually indestructible," a man said across the table. "Only fire can damage it, but through melting at a very strong heat."

"Yeah, and Carter was able to do the same thing," Jack said.

"The stone has… had immense power Colonel O'Neill," Thorcamb said. "It gave Da'niel and Samantha power to accomplish many things. It is why only Da'niel was successful in going to rescue your teammate. Please," he said to Daniel then. "Tell us what next occurred."

Daniel was able to tell the rest of what happened up to the point where he and Sam had escaped the collapse of the palace without anymore interruptions. He glanced over at Jack and Teal'c when he had finished, wondering what they were thinking.

Jack had a look of shock on his face, and Teal'c even looked slightly, very faintly, surprised. The council members all looked taken aback, but also very pleased that Daniel and Sam had been able to destroy the Ruler.

"You still able to move stuff around?" Jack asked after a long period of silence.

"No, I tried it a few times last night," Daniel replied. "Everything we were able to do was because of that sapphire."

"And how does that work?" Jack said.

Shrugging, Daniel said, "I really don't know Jack, I'm not that kind of scientist. Sam might have been able to find though, if we hadn't had to destroy the sapphire."

"Well, we owe you and Samantha our freedom, our lives," Thorcamb said when no one spoke for another minute.

"You don't owe us anything," a voice said from the doorway.

Everyone looked over to see that Sam was standing there. She was surprised when Daniel almost shot up instantly, and the council members and Thorcamb after him stood.

Looking around the table, Jack got up just after Teal'c had done so. As Sam walked around the table to a chair that had been placed next to Daniel he said, "Nice nap Carter?"

"Yeah, the… queen insisted I drink some herbs to sleep," Sam said, sitting down. "Sorry I'm late."

"We are aware now what happened at the palace," Thorcamb said. "And there has been much that our new allies have all done for us."

"What happened at the battlefield?" Daniel asked catching how the leader had worded that.

"Well, it turned out that the heir and a few other young men wanted to go into battle," Jack said. "We were supposed to protect him so… we fought a little."

"We fought beside the young men until the battle ended," Teal'c said.

"You're lucky you didn't get hurt," Sam said.

"Yeah, well, zombies aren't the best fighters, any video game'll teach you that," Jack said, brushing it off like it was nothing. "We're just good shots."

"And they were able to save my betrothed," Monifa said. "He was about to be killed by a soldier and Colonel O'Neill was able to kill it before he was stabbed. And Teal'c killed another soldier that would have shot him with his staff weapon. I owe you both great thanks for what you have done."

"Ah, well, it's our job," Jack said.

"How did the battle end?" Daniel asked.

"The soldiers collapsed," a council member said simply.

"It was at the moment the Ruler was defeated," Monifa said.

Sam looked over at the young girl, wondering how she could know everything she did. She saw that Daniel was nodding, and she looked at Jack, who didn't seem to be too surprised at the information from the Princess.

"What about the dead? How many wounded do you have?" Daniel said then.

"Our wounded are quite a few," Thorcamb replied. "By our count, nearly three hundred men, but with the _b'yilaz_, they will all recover."

"Leaf of life, an herb?" Daniel asked as he quickly translated the words.

"Yeah, it's this," Jack said, taking out a plant from his pocket. It was a bluish-grey leaf and had six spikes that resembled a star in formation.

"If one eats this leaf," Monifa explained. "They are protected in battle, but only for one injury. After that, any other wounds can be inflicted and death can occur. Taking the leaf while you are wounded helps it heal much faster than any other medicines that we have. Colonel O'Neill expressed interest in this on behalf of a doctor on your world. My father and the council will make sure that the plant is included in the agreement between your world and ours."

"And the dead?" Daniel asked.

"One man," Thorcamb said.

"Just one?" Sam asked, shocked.

"I know Carter, but they had the juice from that leaf already made, and they gave it to the seriously injured right on the field so they were able to prevent a lot of deaths," Jack said.

"And what happened to the one man that died?" Daniel asked.

"He was too far in the territory of the soldiers," a man said. "There was no way for the healers to reach him in time to save him."

"What was his name?" Daniel said quietly.

"Moran," another council member replied.

"The man Sam saved in the sand storm," Daniel said, surprised.

"He got out of the storm?" Sam asked. She then realized what she had said and she murmured an apology.

"Does he have any relatives?" Daniel asked.

"A sister," Monifa said. "You wish to see her?"

"We both do," Sam said. She shared a look with Daniel, who looked a bit surprised, and then looked back at the Princess.

"I can show you how to reach her home," Monifa said with a gentle smile.

* * *

Walking down an alley that was near the palace, Sam and Daniel were silent. They had left the Council Room with Monifa soon after, only once Daniel had asked what had happened to the Ruler's soldiers. Amazingly, when a few men from the city had ridden out to the battlefield, there had been nothing there. No bodies or even signs of bodies having lain there. Only sand. According to Monifa, the bodies had returned to the land.

"I feel so terrible," Sam said suddenly. "About this man's death, even though we didn't have anything to do with it."

"Yeah, I guess it's a left over from the souls we were carrying," Daniel said absently.

"Were?" Sam asked, looking at him.

"Um, I didn't tell you, but last night while I was keeping watch, I saw the…" Daniel began to say.

"Spirits?" Sam suggested, already knowing what he was trying to say.

"Yeah, they didn't directly say it, but from what they meant since we were able to kill the Ruler they were able to pass on. So… we don't have their souls anymore."

Sam nodded. Normally she would have been a little skeptic about that, but with everything that had happened it wasn't that surprising. Ahead of them then she saw a door with a string of the blue grey-leaves, dried out, hanging from it. "It's the home," she said, noticing Daniel looking ahead of them then.

When they reached it, Daniel knocked on the door and heard a woman inside call for them to enter. He pushed the door open and allowed Sam to go first.

When Sam went in, she was surprised to find the room she had stepped into was completely dark. It took a while after Daniel had closed the door behind him for her eyes to adjust. She saw some light coming from a doorway ahead of them, and she felt Daniel's hand on her back as they walked over to it.

When they had entered the other room, Daniel saw a young woman sitting on the tiled floor, a single candle lit in the middle of it. When she looked up at them, startled he said quickly, soothingly, "It's alright; we haven't come here to harm you."

"No, I know who you are," the woman said looking at the two in awe. "You are them, the Princess and the Historian. You have brought us freedom."

"What is your name?" Daniel asked to distract the woman from her praise.

"It is Sarai," the woman said, standing slowly from the low stool she'd been sitting on. "You have come because of my brother."

"We wanted you to know that we are so sorry about his death," Sam said.

"You do not know, but Moran was eager to fight," Sarai said with a small smile. "When you saved him during the storm, he was very relieved to have not been taken. But he was also guilty that you had been kidnapped instead."

"Actually… I was the intended victim, not your brother," Sam said slowly.

"It does not matter," Sarai said, shaking her head. "He wanted to fight, to help his people, to be brave as you both were."

"He didn't have to die though," Daniel said gently.

"No, but he wanted to give his life if it was necessary," Sarai replied, tears in her eyes. "He was willing to pass on to the gods, so that we could be free forever."

"We?" Sam asked. She looked over at a doorway on the left side of the room, where a girl in dark robes was staring at her and Daniel.

"My daughter, Zippora," Sarai said with another smile. "Moran loved her as his own. And he wanted her to grow up without the horror of being a slave to the Ruler. Before you came, there was no hope of this. But when word traveled through the city that a battle would be fought against the monster, everyone knew that you had come and you would be facing him. Moran immediately left to fight. He knew he might die, but he bravely went, and I am proud of him for what he has done to help our people."

There was little that Sam and Daniel could say to that, so after a momentary look at each other, they said goodbye to Sarai and the little girl, now standing with her mother and looking at them with large violet colored eyes.

"Thank you for the flowers you gave me earlier," Sam said when she looked at the little girl, having recognizing her. She smiled as Zippora blushed and buried her face in Sarai's shoulder. She turned and walked to Daniel who was waiting at the doorway and they left the home.

The walk back to the palace was quiet, Daniel and Sam thinking about the man who had died for his freedom. It wasn't the first time they'd encountered it, but as they had been so closely linked with what had happened, it touched them both.

When they were half way to the palace, Daniel cleared his throat slightly and said, 'There's something we need to do."

"Tell the colonel and Teal'c about us?" Sam guessed. When he nodded she sighed and said, "Right. I just wonder what remark he'll make once we do."

"Jack won't be… jealous will he?" Daniel asked, a little nervously as he studied her closely.

"No why- oh, Daniel there's nothing between us," Sam said, surprised. "I… I used to have a crush on him and I'm guessing he felt… something for me that was like that, but nothing ever happened. Now I just look at him as a good friend. I told you I love you Daniel, and I meant that."

"I know," Daniel said quickly, greatly pleased by her answer. "I just thought you might still feel something for him."

At that Sam made him stop in the middle of the alley. As he looked at her in surprise, she snaked her arms around his neck and pushed lightly, bringing his lips to hers. She felt his hands soon rest on the small of her back, and they exchanged a short but passionate kiss.

Pulling back, Daniel swallowed hard and nodded saying, "I, uh, see your point." He smiled as Sam did and took her hand, fingers entwining automatically. He knew for sure then that she loved him, and he could swear that it put a little extra bounce in his step as they continued on to the palace.


	17. Celebration

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: Here's a translation for the language in this chapter:  
- _proi_ salute, or cheers

A/N #2: Thanks so much for the reviews Ashleod (I didn't think that Moran would get so much attention, sorry that he had to go too... but that's how stories go, heh. I'm really pleased that you didn't think the goodbye scene with the Warrior Princess and Historian wasn't corny, means I'm learning! Yeah... stories that stopped where the problem is solved and not go any further unless in a sequel has always bothered me, so I resolved not to do that in mine. But I take this story ahead quite a bit until the end, which I hope you'll like. And yeah, more sex scenes, lol, but I just hope they're good! And can't wait to read what you think of this chapter!), RepliCarter1993 (Sorry this is a bit cheesy, but I have a bit of a hard time not making romance that cheesy, but hey, at least I had some plot there first, heh. Hope you'll keep reading!) and HAZMOT (You managed to hit all the points I wanted to make in the last chapter which I'm pleased to see! I really do enjoy your insights, it's always exciting to read your review! And I'm really happy you touched on the welcome they recieved back at the city as that I was unsure of. Anyways, I hope you'll like this one too!). I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #3: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Seventeen  
Celebration

Night had fallen on Philae, and Sam was inside the room she'd been shown to by Eshe earlier in the afternoon. She was waiting for her teammates, or one of them, to come so she wouldn't get lost in the palace going down to were the feast was being held. She looked out the window she was standing next to, down on the garden that was behind the palace. She was starting to wonder if she should try to head down by herself and had pushed herself away from the window sill she was leaning on when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she said as she walked towards it. She stopped abruptly in surprise when it opened and the Princess was standing there.

"I have surprised you," Monifa said with a smile. "I do not think you have been told my name. I am Monifa, Princess of the Blue River."

"No, um… Monifa, it's a pretty name," Sam said. "Can I ask why you're here?" she then asked as the woman walked to the bed, laying something out on top.

"I was sent by my mother," Monifa said, turning to Sam. "She has asked me to make sure you are dressed for the feast," she continued, motioning down to the bed and the dark blue dress that was there.

"Oh, oh no that's okay," Sam said. "It's nice of you to offer, but I'm fine."

"I knew you would say this, and I told my mother," Monifa said with a smile. "But she insisted that it would not be proper for you to come to the feast in trousers."

Sam opened her mouth to refuse again, but a voice in her head, sounding suspiciously like Daniel, told her that it wouldn't be a good idea to insult the natives. Especially now that they were so pleased with the team. So she sighed under breath and said, "Okay, since the queen was so insistent."

Monifa smiled again and turned away from Sam as she started to take off her shirt. She went over to the window and looked out into the night, hearing the rustling of fabric behind her. "You are curious as to who I am," she said suddenly.

"Oh, yeah," Sam said, startled. "Daniel seems to trust your opinions, as well as your father and the council."

"It is because I have similar talents that the Ruler had," Monifa replied. "I am able to summon objects with my mind, hear people's thoughts when I wish to, I can also feel people's illnesses and injuries, and see into the past and future. And I also can do a number of other things as well, most the Ruler never could do."

"You really can see the past and future?" Sam asked doubtfully. She had slipped on the dress and then shoes that the Princess had set on the floor.

"Yes," Monifa said, turning as she knew Sam was finished. She went behind her and began to lace up the dress, tying it tightly before she untied a pouch that was at her waist. "I know that you have lost your mother when you were a child. And that you and Daniel have become lovers."

Sam whirled around and stared at the girl in shock. The woman merely smiled and brought out a small wooden box that had been inside the pouch.

"A gift from my father," Monifa said, handing it to Sam.

"He didn't have to," Sam said, surprised as she held the box. She knew she couldn't refuse that either, so she took off the lid. Her mouth dropped open in surprise when she saw the sapphire-looking pendant necklace that rested on a bed of linen inside. It had a silver chain that was very delicate and the stone was smooth with a starburst of pale blue in the center in a teardrop shape around three quarters of an inch long. "It's beautiful," she said finally, looking up at the Princess.

"My father thought you would like it," Monifa said. She watched as Sam slowly took the necklace and put it around her neck before clasping it in the back. "It suits you, which is not surprising."

"I never really thought much about sapphires," Sam said absently, touching the pendant. "Monifa, your father didn't give this to me as a thanks for what I did with Daniel did he?" she asked the young woman.

"No, he is giving it to you because it belongs to you," Monifa answered, setting the box the necklace at been on the table next to the bed.

"This was the Princess's?" Sam asked in surprise. When Monifa nodded, she ran her fingers over the blue stone that was warm against the hollow of her throat. At that touch, she had a sudden epiphany and said, "She wore this all the time when she was alive. The stone came from… it was found near the sapphire her father gave to her and the Historian."

"Yes, it seems that her spirit is watching over you," Monifa said, smiling as Sam looked surprised at what she'd said. "I must go Samantha," she said then. "I will see you down in the hall."

"Wait, I'll go with you," Sam said quickly as she realized that her teammates hadn't come to get her.

"It is not necessary," Monifa said with a smile, and in a flash she disappeared from the room.

Sam shook her head, not that surprised that the young woman had that same ability as well. She was walking to the door to see if she could get to the hall by herself when there was a knock. "Come in," she said, hoping that the colonel; as she guessed it was her teammates; wouldn't say anything too wry about her outfit. She was surprised when instead of the rest of SG-1, just Daniel stepped inside.

"Sam," Daniel said, looking at her in surprise. He felt a sense of déjà vu when he found his eyes glued to her. It was almost the same as what had happened on Simarka when he'd seen her in the blue dress. Except this time he didn't have to stop himself from letting his eyes roam over her form.

"Apparently the queen wants me to be dressed traditionally for the feast tonight," Sam said, feeling her cheeks heat up a little. The dress that Monifa had given her was similar in design to a chiton; as her gowns had been at the Ruler's; but with pinned sleeves, and in the back was a short train from the high waist. As Daniel continued to stare at her, his eyes every so often drifting down, she felt attractive and desirable, which wasn't something she'd felt yet under Daniel's gaze and found that she really liked it. She suddenly felt a rush of tenderness as he gazed down her body again, so strong that she hurried to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You look amazing," Daniel murmured before he pulled back. He searched her eyes for a moment before he leaned down and kissed her. Since they needed to leave soon he kept it simple, but he couldn't help drawing his tongue along her lower lip once before he pulled it away. He held her closer to him, not realizing that two people had walked up to the doorway and were looking at them in some surprise.

* * *

When he and Teal'c came up to the doorway to Sam's room to catch up with Daniel, Jack was shocked but pleased when he saw the linguist and major wrapped up in each others arms. He grinned at Teal'c and was going to clear his throat when Daniel pulled away from Sam and looked up to see them at the door.

Feeling Daniel tense, Sam looked over her shoulder and froze when she saw her CO standing in the doorway with Teal'c. She then looked at Daniel before they let go of each other and she turned to face them. "Sir…" she began before she stopped. She had no idea what she could say now the rest of the team knew what was going on. She looked up at Daniel, and saw that he looked worried, very much so, and she instinctively took his hand without thinking as they looked at Jack, waiting for him to be the one to speak first.

"So," Jack said after waiting for a few more seconds. He'd dropped his smile to try tease the two scientists but he could feel it trying to creep back on his face and he tried his best to fight it before he finally gave up. "I see you finally wised up. Does this mean you'll start dating once we get back home?"

"Jack," Daniel said as he and Sam relaxed in relief as the colonel began to smile. "I almost thought you were angry."

"Good," Jack said. "So, going to answer my question or do I have to order you guys?"

"We are," Daniel said, glancing at Sam briefly. He then remembered something and asked, "What's going to happen with the team once we tell Hammond about this?"

Sam suddenly felt nervous at Daniel's question, since she was hoping there might be a chance that they could both stay on the team. She squeezed Daniel's hand, wanting to tell him that if it was necessary, she would leave SG-1.

"As far as I know the general will probably consult with me about what to do since I am your CO," Jack said then. "But if there's any kind of protest from people higher up, I'll do whatever I can to make sure you kids stay on the team."

Daniel was a little surprised by that, but he was glad to hear it since it meant that the colonel was definitely okay with him and Sam being together. And also that Jack didn't seem to have any romantic feels for her. He was glad, and he expressed it in his simple, "Thank you Jack."

"We better get going down to dinner," Jack said after nodding to Daniel. "We're the guests of honor after all." He turned then and left the room, leaving Teal'c behind with Daniel and Sam.

"Um, are you alright with this Teal'c?" Daniel asked the stoic Jaffa.

"I am Daniel Jackson," Teal'c replied. "It pleases me to see you together. I have thought many times before that if you were to become lovers you will be the rest of your lives." He gave a brief nod to them and then left.

"Well, that went pretty well," Sam said after she shook herself from her surprise.

"Yeah, Sam, you know that one of us might have to leave the team to stay together," Daniel said.

"I know, I-" Sam said, seeing it was her chance to tell him about her decision.

"I'll do it," Daniel said, interrupting her before she could finish as he knew she would say that she would leave. He spoke quickly then as she opened her mouth in protest, "I can't ask you to leave the team Sam. I know how much you've always wanted to go through the Stargate. And unless you transfer to another SG team-"

"I wouldn't," Sam said firmly.

"Then you wouldn't be going through the 'gate that often," Daniel said with a nod. "I can't let you do that."

"But you wouldn't go through the 'gate either," Sam replied, knowing he wouldn't try to join another team either.

"I know but, I couldn't give this up," Daniel said, squeezing her hand.

Sighing, Sam let go of it and hugged him tightly before she said, "We'll have to see what happens when we tell Hammond. After that we can decide what to do."

Daniel nodded and he said, "We better go, Jack's probably eager for the feast to start, to see what they might say to us."

"Well, they've thanked me enough," Sam said as she and Daniel walked out of the room, touching her necklace. She smiled as he did so and she took his hand, knowing already that he was thinking the same thing without having to open their link.

* * *

Daniel and Sam reached the hall where the feast was being held just before it was started. The hall was just off the throne room and was equal in size. There were several long tables where sat members of the council, their families and the commanders of the nine city warriors. One table was at the head of the room laid out perpendicular to the others and there sat Thorcamb and his family, Jack and Teal'c sitting to the man's right. Behind them was a large mural; the subject the wedding of the Warrior Princess and Historian.

Once they had been seated in the two chairs at Thorcamb's right, the man stood and everyone in the room grew silent. "My people, we are here to celebrate our freedom and those who helped to achieve that. Now it is time for us to partake of food. Our speeches will come after. So I ask you all to enjoy the feast and to rejoice in our liberation." With that he sat and servers entered the hall with food on platters that were set down on all the tables.

When she had gotten her food, Sam hesitated for a moment, but Daniel noticed and told her the food was alright, that the rest of the team had been eating the food since their arrival in the city. So she ate, Daniel telling her the food was a mix of Greek and Middle-Eastern dishes. And surprisingly there was no meat, not even fish.

The hall was full of talking and laughter as everyone ate. SG-1 could see they were all overjoyed.

When the food had been consumed and the empty platters taken away, Thorcamb stood again, this time with a goblet of silvery-gold metal. Holding out the cup he began to speak as everyone in the room looked at him. "My friends, we have managed to do away with the evil tyranny that has plagued our land not once but twice. He has been defeated, banished to the dark skies where not even the stars shine. We have also defeated his army of the soulless, only loosing one of our warriors out of so many.

"For that we toast all our warriors, most especially Moran of the Philaens, who was slain in his efforts to free our people. He will never be forgotten," he sipped his drink as everyone else in the hall did as well. When they were looking at him again, he held out the goblet once more. "There is special appreciation that must be given, for without them we would be lost, slaves to the tyrant. For their help, we thank you of the Stargate Command of Earth."

Everyone took a quick drink then as the members of SG-1 nodded or looked down into their cups. Thorcamb spoke again, saying, "Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c, you risked your lives by fighting side by side with my son and heir; and my daughter's betrothed, who owes you his life. You destroyed many of the soulless, saving even more lives and for this you have our world's gratitude and thanks," bowing his head to the two.

A murmur went through the room at the news of what Jack and Teal'c had done. The colonel looked very pleased with the speech, sitting up straight as the toast was drunk to them. Teal'c bowed his head to the people as they held their cups out to him and Jack, and waited for the leader to continue, which he soon did after his goblet was refilled.

"And my final toast for this night," Thorcamb said slowly. "All our people know the story of the Princess Monifa and Hath, King Nassor's Historian and Advisor. It ended in tragedy with their deaths and the near enslavement of our world by the Ruler. But he was killed as well, and we lived in peace until a generation ago when the Ruler's soul was reborn. We feared that we would face slavery and tyranny at his hands. But we were saved when Doctor Da'niel Jackson and Major Samantha Carter came here to our world. The souls of Monifa and Hath were strong with them, and they were able to find the sapphire that has always been theirs. It was this, the full power of the stone used by both Da'niel and Samantha that allowed them to destroy the Ruler. The sapphire was also destroyed, and so we are now completely free forever.

"We owe you our lives, our freedom Da'niel and Samantha," Thorcamb said, turning to the two slightly. "You have made it safe for our people to live. We can never repay you both for all the courage you have shown. For the risk you took and for putting your lives in considerable danger. You will always be welcome here on Philae as our liberators; this will be a home to you. To you both, _proi_."

Daniel was looking down at the table when Thorcamb ended his speech by drinking deeply from his goblet. He felt incredibly uncomfortable, since it hadn't really been himself that had known what to do; it had been the Historian's soul that had helped him.

'_Do I really deserve part of that toast_,' Sam said suddenly in Daniel's mind.

Glancing at her, Daniel saw the doubt in her eyes and he quickly forgot his embarrassment as he reassured her firmly. '_If you hadn't been there Sam, or if you had been unconscious I wouldn't have been able to do anything. What I could do with the sapphire was limited to moving small objects. If I had tried to kill the Ruler... I would have ended up dying. It was because you were there that we were able to do all of that_.'

'_**We**__ Daniel, it wasn't just me_,' Sam said. She smiled when he flushed deeply at that and lowered his head slightly. He looked too adorable right then and she was very tempted to kiss him on the cheek, but held back since they weren't alone.

In front of them, the other tables were being moved to the edges of the room, and was everyone was seated again a group of musicians came in and gathered opposite the head table. When they began to play, Thorcamb; seated again; spoke to Daniel and Sam.

"I have spoken with my council and we have agreed to invite you to remain here in Philae for a few more days. We, my family and I, want you to stay at the summer palace on the island out in the sea," the leader said. "To thank you both."

Sharing a surprised look with Sam, Daniel cleared his throat and said, "That's very kind, but-"

"They'd love to go, we just need to get permission from our commander tomorrow," Jack interrupted, having been listening. "He'll probably say it's okay though."

"Wonderful, I will tell a servant to prepare supplies you may need for the island Da'niel, Samantha," Thorcamb said, smiling.

When the man had stood and walked after his wife and children, Daniel leaned over to Jack and hissed, "What are you doing?"

"Well, in the words of this archeologist I know pretty well," Jack said, not looking at Daniel. "We really shouldn't insult the natives."

"I don't think declining the invitation will insult Thorcamb or the council," Sam said, embarrassed as well.

"No, but it might insult the others," Jack said. "You're their new heroes now that the Ruler guy's gone, might as well make 'em happy."

"I don't think we're heroes Jack," Daniel said, feeling incredibly embarrassed.

"Still, I'll talk to Hammond tomorrow at the Stargate," Jack said firmly. He smiled to himself as the two scientists glanced at each other, obviously self-conscious. He thought that after all the two had been through they deserved a little vacation and, after seeming them together earlier, he knew they would appreciate it for all they were protesting. So he had jumped at Thorcamb's invitation, and he just hoped that the General would agree to let Sam and Daniel stay on the planet for a little longer.

Jack was glad though that the two seemed so happy together, even just chatting quietly to each other as they looked at the musicians. Daniel definitely deserved to be happy and to have someone in his life. And he knew now as he watched them, Sam smiling at Daniel and him laughing slightly, that if there was anyone who would be perfect for him it was Sam. And as for Sam, he was glad to see her happy too; especially after the bad luck she'd had with most of the men in her life. He was just glad that they had each other and would bring joy to each other for a very long time.

* * *

It was later in the night and Daniel was preparing to go to sleep. The rest of the feast had mainly been spent listening to the music and watching some of the natives dance that he'd found fascinating since it had contained some from both Ancient Greece and Egypt. When the feast had ended Jack had told them to be ready to go to the Stargate at dawn so it would be mid-morning or so by the time they reached it.

Just as he was about to take his glasses off to go to sleep, Daniel heard a tap on the door. "Come in," he said in a little surprise.

The door opened and Monifa stepped in, smiling at his expression. "I thought that I might take you somewhere before you sleep this night," she said.

"Where?" Daniel asked.

"Come," Monifa said simply, motioning with her hand. She turned and walked out into the hall, knowing without looking behind her that Daniel was following.

As they walked up the stairs to the floor above his room, Daniel quickly realized where he was being led. He wasn't surprised when the Princess stopped in front of Sam's room and knocked softly, smiling at him. "Why are you doing this?" he asked her.

Monifa only smiled at him, and a second later she disappeared, just as Sam opened the door.

"Daniel?" Sam asked, surprised to see him. He was looking to his left and she stepped out a little to see what he was staring at, but there was nothing there. "What're you doing here?" she asked.

"Um… I was brought here," Daniel said, turning his head to look at her. "I have no idea why though."

"Come in," Sam said quickly as she saw a guard coming from around the corner to check the hall. She closed the door once Daniel was inside and said, "Monifa brought you and she disappeared?"

"Yeah," Daniel said, looking a little uncomfortable. "I guess they, they really want us to have everything they couldn't."

"The Princess and the Historian?" Sam asked though she already knew the answer. She looked away from Daniel when he nodded, trying not to blush. "I-" she began to say a few minutes later when she felt him come up next to her. She turned to him and was surprised when he embraced her and pulled her to him, his lips covering hers quickly.

Watching Sam, Daniel had been struck again that night by how beautiful she was. She was still in the dark blue dress, and when he had first seen her earlier it was like he'd been struck; it was no different then, several hours after he'd first come to her room. So he couldn't stop himself and pulled her even tighter against him, his kiss becoming more passionate as his tongue slipped between her lips.

Sam shivered inwardly as Daniel's tongue gentle searched her mouth almost as soon as he gained access to it. She could feel his hands slightly stroking the small of her back. She slid her hands up the back of his neck in return, clasping them together when she felt him tilt his head to the side slightly. Moaning, she pressed her body to his and she remembered the night before. The way their bodies had been entwined so closely. She shook slightly as the desire to repeat the experience filled every inch of her body. But she knew that they couldn't really take the chance to make love there, and she reluctantly pulled away from him.

"I… sorry, I wasn't intending that to last so long," Daniel said. He held her still, loath to let her go. "I-I think Sam, we need to talk about us."

"I know," Sam replied, biting her lower lip. "If we do go to the island…" she trailed off.

"Yes, we'll definitely talk about it there. Or else once we get home," Daniel said. He smiled at Sam and said, "I really want to go actually, despite the fact that Jack's trying to arrange it all for us."

"Me too, but I wonder if the general will really let us stay," Sam said, surprised he hadn't let her go yet, not that she was going to ask him to.

"Jack will probably talk to him, insist that it's necessary for good relations with Philae," Daniel said.

"We'll have to tell him," Sam murmured.

"I know, we'll talk about it if we go to the island," Daniel said. He looked into her eyes and finally said, "I better go." But he didn't move to release her. A beat, and then he was leaning down to Sam and her head tilted back to give him access. His lips on hers created an instant shock, and he gently slipped his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues met and rolled together slowly so they could taste each other. It took every ounce of self control that he had not to carry her to the bed as she pressed closed against him. Finally though he pulled away and pressed his forehead to hers, eyes shut slightly. "I love you Sam," he whispered.

"I love you too," Sam said softly. She smiled when he quickly kissed her lips, and she could almost feel him wrenching himself away. "Good night Daniel," she called as he opened the door.

"Night," Daniel replied, and he closed the door behind him. Walking back to his room, he hoped that he and Sam might have a little time alone together, he wanted to have a moment of respite alone with her; and the island Thorcamb had offered would provide just that. He smiled as he was filled with a sense of excitement, thinking of what he and Sam would be able to do alone, and he hurried back to his room, eager for the next day.


	18. Azarat Ap Oi Ptera B’kad

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: Here's a translation for the language in this chapter:  
- _Azarat Ap Oi Ptera B'kad- _Island of the Winged Ones (As close as I could get  
to Island of the Butterflies)  
-_ Kalo B'tan- _Thank you Captain

A/N #2: Thanks so much for the reviews HAZMOT (I was so pleased to see your review, and that it focused quite a bit on Monifa. I'm glad that she can capture your attention, as that's what I wanted to happen. Anyways, I'm so happy that you've sticked around for this story, and I hope that you'll do so right until the end! You're a fantastic reviewer and I appreciate every one you give to me! I hope that you'll like this chapter, and can't wait to read your review for it!) and Ashleod (Lol, your comment on their self control was funny. I just hope that if it ever comes to them losing that you'll still like this story! And I was surprised you liked the bit where Jack and Teal'c discovered them, actually more relieved since I was worried about that would be read. Anyways, I really appreciate your review, and I hope that you'll like this chapter as well, can't wait to read what you think of it!!). I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #3: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Eighteen  
_Azarat Ap Oi Ptera B'kad_

Standing at the rail on the ship, Sam and Daniel watched as a sailor tossed a rope securing the boat to the wooden dock up to another sailor on the ship. They were at the port of Philae, about to depart for the island and royal palace there in the sea.

That morning when SG-1 had reached the Stargate, Sam had checked the DHD and had found that it was back to normal, no crystal missing. They had dialed home, and tested it to make sure that nothing blocked it. There hadn't and Jack talked to General Hammond. He had stressed the need for them not to insult the natives; sounding a lot like Daniel; since the SGC could use the herb and metal that Philae had. The General had agreed to let Sam and Daniel stay on the planet for a while longer; not knowing about the invitation to the island since Jack had decided that it wasn't really necessary for him to know. So after that Jack and Teal'c had left, Jack telling the two wryly to behave themselves on the island and not get into any trouble. Sam and Daniel, slightly embarrassed by the wink the Colonel had sent Daniel, merely told him goodbye and promised to be back on the third day. When the 'gate had closed, they started their journey back to Philae which took them until past noon. They arrived at the palace to find servants running around, getting everything read for their trip; Monifa having already told everyone the two scientists would be returning. After eating with the royal family, Thorcamb and the Princess had taken them to the port and on the royal ship and wished them farewell before going back to the dock.

Sam looked up at the sails as the wind caught them and she smiled as the leader of Philae and Monifa waved to her and Daniel. They both waved back and she said, "I can't believe we're on a… vacation together. Off world no less."

"I know, but I'm hoping you'll enjoy it," Daniel said. "I am."

"Really?" Sam asked. She realized something and asked, "It's an ancient palace right?"

"Yeah, I asked Monifa about it," Daniel replied, smiling slightly. "She said there are ancient carvings and writing from when it was first built, I'm eager to see if there'll be Ancient Greek, Aramaic or Egyptian. If there is… well I'm definitely going to be using the camera a lot." He then realized what he was saying and shook his head. "I um… I'm not planning on doing that the whole time we're there," she said to Sam as they left the bay where the port was and entered the ocean.

"It wouldn't bother me if you did," Sam said, smiling at him.

"And what would you do if I ended up spending all my time exploring the palace?" Daniel asked, not really surprised that she had responded the way she had.

"Help you," Sam said with a shrug. "It wouldn't really matter to me. I'm just looking forward to this."

"We've never really done anything like this huh?" Daniel asked as they left the railing and walked towards the prow of the ship to watch their arrival to the island. "A vacation that the two of us have taken."

"No," Sam said. She frowned and said, "Nothing like that at all. I guess I never suggested it since we were just friends. It might have seemed… unusual for us to do maybe."

"Thank god Jack didn't say anything about this island to the general," Daniel commented as they looked ahead. "I wonder though what he'll think we're doing here on the planet since we've done our mission and one of the other teams is going to take care of the treaty."

"Hopefully just that the natives are teaching us about their history and any technology they might have," Sam said.

Daniel nodded and fell silent as she did, and then turned back towards Philae. "It's really beautiful here," he said.

"It is," Sam said, seeing that he was right. "It must be peaceful to live here. Now it is I mean."

"Yeah," Daniel said with a smile. "A good place to retire. Jack would like it if-"

"There's fish in the ocean," Sam finished, laughing. "There are probably a lot, they are vegetarians."

"Funny they don't eat the only meat on this world," Daniel commented. "But I think they worship a water goddess so harming the fish is likely unthinkable."

As they had been speaking a strip of darkness had appeared on the horizon and grew until they were almost at it. The ship was soon abuzz with sailors running around to lead the boat to a dock that extended from the island and tie it up there. A crate with supplies was unloaded once they were docked; they contained food and some other necessities for the two and they were finally allowed to disembark, the captain joining them.

"If you require anything," the man said to Sam and Daniel as they walked off the dock and onto the sand of the beach. "There is a signal at the top of the palace. Light it and a boat will sail in an instant on orders from our king."

"Thank you," Daniel said, Sam echoing him a moment later.

The captain bowed his head and then asked, "Will you need any help with your supplies?"

"No, we'll get them to the palace," Daniel replied. "_Kalo B'tan_."

Smiling slightly, the captain nodded to Sam and Daniel before turning and walking back to the ship.

As the boat sailed back to Philae, Daniel looked down at the crate and said, "Think we can get this up there?"

"Only one way to find out," Sam said.

Daniel and Sam picked up the crate, which didn't weigh much, and walked up the beach to the palace. As they went, he studied what he could see of the island. The sand on the beach was pure white and there were shells where the small waves were washing up. Trees edged the beach ahead and about a couple of feet to the left of them was a cliff of white rock and a staircase leading up to the palace at the top. The staircase was short, so it didn't take long before they were walking across a mossy field, a quarter of a football field long, to the palace.

The palace itself was a mix of Ancient Greek and Egyptian architectural influences, white with open arches and balconies. It rose up three stories and faced the sea. Daniel couldn't wait to see everything inside it.

After the two had gotten the crate inside, they unpacked what they would need and put it away. The food, which took up most of the supplies, was stowed away in the large kitchen that was in a room attached to the palace by a short hall. They then went up to the second floor where half of the ten rooms were.

"This looks good," Sam said as they poked their heads into the doorways to pick out their rooms. The one she had decided on was painted in a light periwinkle shade and there was a mural on the wall; it was of the Warrior Princess standing in a garden, a flower that was dark blue growing under her hand. There was a large bed against the wall across from the mural and around it were gossamer-like curtains to draw close. There was a kind of dresser opposite the bed, and besides a few chairs that was all that adorned the room. What was meant to be the main focus was the view outside the balcony attached to the room, the sea stretching out into the horizon. Sam was looking out at it when Daniel came inside.

"Pretty," he commented. He smiled when Sam seemed not to hear him; she was already at the balcony, looking out at the sea. He set down his pack he'd brought at the doorway and went over to her.

"I always thought that there were a lot of worlds we've seen that have been beautiful," Sam said softly when she felt Daniel next to her. "But this… it's paradise."

"You're right," Daniel said, knowing how she felt. The sea was turquoise blue and the trees on the beach below them an almost emerald green, contrasting with the pure white sand. The breeze blowing around them was pure and as it tugged at his hair and shirt, he took a deep breath feeling a sense of freedom and joy almost overwhelm him. He felt Sam's hand on top of his and he looked at her. The smile on her face was breathtaking, and he reached up to cup her face. He placed a brief, gentle kiss on her lips before he pulled back. "This feels right," he stated, rather than asked.

Nodding, Sam understood, it was as if they belonged there, together. She wondered if maybe it was because of the influence of the Warrior Princess and Historian, but she pushed aside that theory, and just guessed that they had come to see the planet as part of them after all they'd been through. "We should unpack and then maybe take a look around, that way we won't get lost," she said.

"Right," Daniel said, letting her go. As he walked over to the door he heard her say, "You know I was tempted to ask you to share the room with me." Stopping abruptly, he turned to her and saw that she was putting a cloth sack that Monifa had given her on the bed and could see that the corner of her mouth was curled up in a smile; he had to smile himself. "Well, if I don't find another room that's as nice as this one…" he said before trailing off.

Her head shooting up from her pack, Sam saw the smile on Daniel's face and she laughed as he stepped out of the room. For a moment she wished they could really do that, but knew they needed to talk before they did anything else. Pushing away her disappointment, she began to unpack the clothing she'd brought and had been given, trying to hurry since she was eager to explore the palace.

* * *

After Daniel had found his room; across the hall and three doors away from Sam's; and unpacked he went to her and they went to the ground floor. Before leaving Philae he'd asked Monifa about the layout of the palace and where the rooms with ancient writing and artifacts were. He had a hand drawn map that the Princess had given him, and from the stairs they went to the right, into the first room which was the library.

"Wow," Sam said in surprise as they stepped inside. She glanced over at Daniel and smiled to herself at the expression on his face. It was a mix of amazement, wonder and eagerness.

The library was a large room that had floor to ceiling bookshelves, though they contained scrolls and not books. In between each shelf was a column and there was writing on all of them. At the opposite end of the door was a space of wall uncovered and there was more writing; only and inch and a half in size. There were no windows, only two wide doors that could be thrown open to catch the ocean breeze and more light was let inside by a row of skylights in the ceiling, covered by thin material which was possibly an animal's hide and almost transparent.

Daniel was already at the nearest bookcase when Sam had finished looking around the room. He was looking at the tags attached to the ends of the scrolls by ribbons. "These are all on the history of Philae," he said, pointing to one shelf. "These are myths and folklore," he murmured to himself.

"I think I know where you're going to be while we're here," Sam said with a smile as she touched the writing on a column next to the shelves he was in front of.

Pausing, Daniel turned to her and said, "I, Sam…"

"It's okay," Sam said when she saw the concern and guilt on his face. "There's a lot of knowledge here. You should try and learn as much as you can before we go home." She turned back to the column and then started to walk to the next one when she felt Daniel take her hand.

"Let's keep looking around," he said when she turned to him.

"Daniel, you-" Sam started to say.

"Maybe I'll spend a few hours the last day we're here translating some of the scrolls," Daniel said as they walked into the next room.

"It's not up to me what you do," Sam said with a smile as he entwined their fingers together.

"It wouldn't be fair to you if that's all I did," Daniel replied. He looked around the room they were walking through, seeing that it was a sitting room, a small pit in the center and a primitive chimney above it for a small fire.

"Then the last day you should definitely spend getting information from the library," Sam said. The smile that Daniel gave her in response made her heart beat a little faster and she squeezed his hand as they moved to the next room, and she found that she was even more eager for the next few days than she was before.

* * *

Sam and Daniel looked through the palace and gardens on its extensive grounds until sunset. They then went down to the beach in front of it, and they built a fire for warmth before they ate the simple dinner they had prepared watching the second sun turn the horizon red and orange. They were quiet during the meal, only sharing quick glances before turning their attention back to the sunset. But when they were done, Daniel cleared his throat nervously and began to speak.

"Sam, I think it would probably be a good time for us to talk now," he said slowly, looking at her.

"You're right," Sam said, feeling anxious herself. She had been leaning back on her hands, but she moved so she was sitting Indian style, her arms crossed over her chest. "What… what will we do Daniel? What do you want from our relationship?" she asked with a blush as he studied her face.

"I want everything Sam," Daniel said honestly. He looked at the fire, embarrassed when she looked at him in surprise, and he cleared his throat again before he continued. "I love you deeply and I want to be with you for as long as is possible. I'd like to spend the rest of my life with you. To marry you … to have a family together in the future. Sam, I want to spend every morning for the rest of our lives waking up with you in my arms, knowing that I'll never be alone again."

Sam's eyes were filled with tears at that and she threw her arms around Daniel, touched deeply by his words and how fervently he'd spoken them. It took her a minute before she could reply, but in that time she felt nothing but pure joy.

Instead of being worried about her silence, Daniel was feeling happiness. He could feel her elation and soon he was experiencing it himself. He then realized he'd forgotten to say something and he spoke, "Before all that, I would like us to date."

Laughing softly, Sam pulled away and nodded before saying, "I want that too, all of it. We should probably take it slowly first, to make sure that this will work out."

"It will," Daniel said. He looked into her eyes and asked, "Do you regret the other… night?"

"Oh Daniel, no," Sam said, realizing what he was talking about quickly. "I don't. It was…" She trailed off, her face slightly flushed as she looked down at her hands. She felt his fingers on her chin, tilting it up and she looked into his gentle blue eyes.

"What was it Sam?" he asked tenderly, cupping her cheek with one hand.

"Amazing," Sam breathed, pleased she'd found the right word so quickly.

Searching her paler blue eyes, Daniel made a little sound of agreement and then leaned over to place a soft kiss on her lips. He was tempted to deepen it, to take her into his arms and repeat that night that had been amazing for them both. But he knew that they needed to go slowly as she had said so he ended the kiss and leaned back. Looking into her eyes again he then asked, "Sam would you like to go on a date tomorrow night?" Her eyebrows rose in surprise and he quickly said, "Just dinner. It won't be a date in the normal sense, in the fact that we're off-world but I can make something for us and we can talk." He felt a little embarrassed when he realized that it probably didn't sound like much of a date, so he was surprised at Sam's reply.

"I'd love that," she said. When she saw that Daniel was taken aback, Sam smiled and said, "I don't need to go out to some fancy restaurant Daniel. A simple dinner will be great, just as long as I'm with you."

Nodding, Daniel leaned over and wrapping his arms around her he kissed her again, pleased that she had agreed. Unlike the kiss before it, he made it more passionate, feeling Sam quickly respond. He had to use his self control again not to give in to the temptation of laying her down on blanket they were sitting on. Instead he let his tongue play with hers eagerly inside her mouth, making her moan as he tangled his fingers through her hair, tilting her head back. He let that kiss go on for as long as possible, until they needed to breathe. Looking at her when they were apart he said intently, "I don't know what might happen in the future Sam. There's so much we're facing now… But I want you to know that I will do my best to never leave you."

Sam nodded, knowing that she didn't have to tell him that she wanted the same, he already knew. She leaned against him as they sat normally then, looking at the ocean and the stars as they slowly appeared above them. And in the peace around them she could have stayed there forever, even though they had things to deal with still back on Earth. She pushed that out of her mind and leaned her head against Daniel's shoulder, determined to forget about everything for the time being and let herself relax. '_I love you Daniel_,' she said mentally, not wanting to break the comfortable silence around them.

'_I love you too Sam_," Daniel replied. He turned his head and kissed her forehead tenderly before he looked back up at the sky. In that moment, he felt happier than he thought he could be, and knew that as long as he was with Sam, he would be. It was a comforting thought, and he wrapped his arm around her waist tightly, feeling her love through that simple touch and knowing she could feel his.

* * *

"The stars are pretty amazing in this part of the galaxy," Sam said. It was later in the night and they had returned to the palace after spending most of their time watching the skies. When they weren't looking at the constellations Daniel had her that their connection wasn't limited to telepathy. She had been shocked to learn that he had felt her being strangled twice, and she knew then where the bruises on his neck had come from. She had felt terrible, but Daniel assured her that he was alright. She had asked him what they would do, and he mentioned that he had spoken to Monifa at one point after they had returned to Seth's palace, asking if there would be a way for them to ever stop feeling each others pain. The answer had been there was no permanent way to do so, but they could shut out the pain by closing the link between them temporarily. Her mind was still trying to take in that information, but she put the thought aside and decided not to worry about it when they had kissed again after he finished speaking.

Reaching Sam's room, Daniel let go of her hand and turned to her. "We'll take a look around the island tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes but you know the library-" Sam began to say.

"The last day," Daniel said. "I would like to see if there are any ruins or maybe statues from when the royal family first used this island."

"Okay," Sam said with a smile. "I just hope you'll get enough from the library so the general won't think we're-"

"Being worshiped, as Jack would say I'm sure," Daniel finished, rolling his eyes. He smiled slightly when Sam giggled softly and he said, "I'll let you get some rest, I'll come in the morning when you're up." He leaned over and kissed her cheek gently. He wanted to do more than that though, and knew if he stayed he'd act on that desire, which would be disregarding their agreement to take things slower. So after he'd pulled away he turned to walk down the hall to his room when he felt Sam's hand on his shoulder.

When Daniel had turned around to her, Sam wrapped her arms around his neck. Though they had said they would go slowly, she found that it would be very hard to do so as their lips met a moment later. Everything in her heart, body and even deep in her soul was telling her to invite him to her bed and make love with him. But she fought the urge, and instead focused on the kiss, playfully rubbing her tongue against his before pulling it away. After a while he parted from her and gave her a brilliant smile, making her realize that since their night together he'd never looked so absolutely happy. Even the brief time that she'd seen him with Sha're he hadn't looked quite this joyful. And it took her breath away, literally, that it was because of her.

"Good night Sam," Daniel said softly. He kissed her again, quickly on the lips, and let her go, walking down the hall.

"Night," Sam whispered, licking her lower lip lightly. She stepped inside her room, wishing that she had asked him to stay, but she shook her head. They had all the time in the world to be together. Now she was looking forward to their 'date' the next night, and everything that might happen during their trip. When she had crawled under the linen sheets of the bed she found herself falling asleep quickly but before she did, she felt Daniel through their link.

He was thinking the same as she was, wanting to be with her, but looking forward to tomorrow. With that heavily comforting her, Sam fell asleep, ready for the next day.


	19. Exploration

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: Here's a translation for the language in this chapter:  
- _Azarat Ap Oi Ptera B'kad -_ Island of the Winged Ones (In case anyone forgot)  
-_ B'may -_ water  
-_ M b'shem ai Samantha Carter aen ei d'me Gi -_ My name is Samantha Carter and I am from Earth (Simple, but that's usually how you start out learning a language which is why I used it here)  
-_ Esi ama af omal_ - You speak it perfectly

A/N #2: There's a love scene in this Chapter to warn my readers, if you don't like them don't read them! This story is rated M for a reason!

A/N #3: Thanks so much for the reviews Data'sGirl (Welcome to my story first off, it's nice to see a new face and know that they're enjoying it, hehe. I'm really glad that you like the story so far, and I hope you'll stick around for the rest of it to see what happens!), RepliCarter1993 (I'm really pleased that you're still reviewing. There's still more to come, so I hope you'll keep on reading!), HAZMOT (Have I mentioned that I really, really love reading your reviews? They are so insightful it amazes me that my story can inspire that kind of review! I just hope as the story continues that you'll still like it!) and Ashleod (Yay, you're my 50th review, thanks sooo much! I was glad you thought the last chapter was cute, I can't wait to read what you'll say about this one!) I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #4: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Nineteen  
Exploration

The morning of their first full day on the island, Sam had gotten up and dressed feeling very relaxed. She knew that was probably due to that fact that the day had dawned warm and the breeze from the ocean blew softly to her. She was surprised when Daniel didn't show up, so once she was ready she went to his room.

Stepping inside she saw that it was similar to hers. The bed had the same sheer curtains, but the design was simpler. There were no murals or paintings, and the designs of the few pieces of furniture made it obvious the room was intended for a man.

Sam smiled when she saw that Daniel was fast asleep still, sprawled across the middle of the bed on his stomach. Getting an idea, a mischievous smile appeared on her face and she tiptoed over to the bed. Sitting on her knees next to Daniel, she touched his shoulder lightly. His reaction to that was to roll onto his back and she smiled since it was what she was hoping he would do. Leaning down, she brushed her lips over his forehead, biting back a giggle when he groaned slightly, his face scrunching up. She then let her lips trail down to the tip of his nose, with no reaction but a sigh. She kissed his cheeks, and finally pressed her lips to his, gasping in surprise when Daniel's arms wrapped around her and he responded. She had no choice but to slide her arms about his neck, and she pressed her tongue against his for a few seconds before he pulled away slowly.

"Good morning," Daniel said, his voice deeper than normal. He smiled as she blushed and he let go of her so she could stand next to the bed.

"Morning," Sam said when she felt her face wasn't warm anymore. "I came to get you, it's at least ten… or whatever ten is on this planet."

"Right, I'll get ready," Daniel said, getting up out of the bed. He smiled as Sam quickly left the room and he got up to change into fresh clothes. Once he was finished he went into the small room attached to the bedroom. There was a kind of pump for fresh water and he got some in a small pitcher to wash his face. Once he'd finished he felt more awake and he left after grabbing his pack to see that Sam was looking out the door of her room. "Let's go," he said when she saw him.

The two left the palace from the front entry, eating nutrition bars for their breakfast as they went. Outside the garden that signified the beginning of the palace grounds they entered a forest that was similar to the ones they'd been in on the mainland. This one though was more developed since the foliage was overgrown and covered nearly everything except for the path the two scientists were on.

"Do you have any idea what else is on this island?" Sam asked when they couldn't see the palace behind them anymore.

"Monifa gave me a map," Daniel said, stopping. He pulled out a small scroll from his pack and rolled it open to show her. "The island is about the size of ten football fields in width and about seven in length. It kinda looks like Cyprus but just in its length."

"There's only one path?" Sam asked, holding the map then and studying it.

"One main path, it's what the royal family used to get to the beach at the other end. More private or else it's calmer for the children to swim," Daniel answered.

"Used?" Sam asked, noticing his use of past tense.

"They haven't used this place for years," Daniel said. "Not since Thorcamb and Eshe were first married according to Monifa. The Ruler appeared at that point and I guess it was too dangerous for the king to be on an island with the threat of kidnapping over him."

Sam nodded and she pointed down at a point on the map that showed a large pond. "What does this mean?" she asked. On the north edge of the pond there were small waves but nothing to note what they signified.

"I'm not sure," Daniel said, looking closely at the thin parchment. "Should we try to take a look?" he asked. When she nodded he rolled up the scroll and put it away before they started walking again. It took another hour and a half to find it, as there were points in the path that it deviated to create a smaller path in either direction. So Daniel kept the map out, looking at it to make sure they wouldn't get lost.

Finally, they came to the small path that would lead them to the pond and they walked quickly until they started to hear the sound of roaring water.

"Holy Hannah," Sam gasped when they stepped from the forest and right up to the edge of the pond.

In front of them was a tall hill, at least four stories tall, and at the front of it was a waterfall from which spilled rich, sapphire-blue water into the pond that held crystal clear water. At the middle of the falls; on the edge of the pond directly across from it, was a small temple, Greek in design. It was the same white stone of the cliff the palace was on. Inside was a small white stone statue of a god and another of a goddess. In front of them was a small shrub of white flowers. The same flowers were all over the place, but covering them were thousands of butterfly-like insects. And when Sam had spoken, those near her and Daniel started to fly, their wings glinting in the suns before they settled down again; the two looking on in awe.

"Did you ask what the name of this island is?" Sam asked when she'd gotten over the shock of how beautiful it was.

"_Azarat Ap Oi Ptera B'kad_," Daniel said, looking a little surprised too.

"Simple," Sam murmured as she went to a nearby shrub where some of the insects were resting; their wings opening and closing slowly. "But definitely appropriate." She was surprised when she stood right next to the plant and the butterflies didn't move or fly away. Carefully, she reached over and broke off a flower where a butterfly with red and orange wings rested. It still didn't move and she carefully slipped her fingers under the insect, holding her breath as it merely opened its wings before remaining still. She couldn't help but smile, and she heard Daniel say her name softly, making her look up at him.

Stepping close to her, Daniel asked, "You like these don't you?"

"Yeah, butterflies were pretty much the only bugs that didn't disgust me," Sam replied as the insect fluttered off her hand and landed on another flower.

Daniel smiled at that and said, "I'm going to take a look at that temple. The two gods in there look a little familiar." He walked over to the white stone temple and knelt in front of it, setting his pack on the moss-covered ground. He took out his video camera and recorded the small structure, walking around it as he spoke, describing it.

Walking over to him, Sam watched him kneel in front of the opening of the temple, running his fingers over plaque that was in front of the stone structure in the ground. Biting her lower lip, she had to quickly ignore the image of his fingers running over her body and to do that she asked, stammering a little at the beginning, "Do, do you know who they are?"

"Well, according to this," Daniel began. "The male deity is Mitha, I've heard Thorcamb refer to him a number of times. The female deity is called _B'may_ which is the native word for water. So there's a definite influence of Persian here."

"Persian?" Sam asked. "I thought these people were originally taken from Egypt, Greece and the area around Jerusalem."

"They were but Mithras, the Persian god of the sun wasn't just worshiped in the Persian Empire. The Romans were known to worship him and there's been evidence of temples in London to him," Daniel explained. "It's likely that a lot of the natives here were worshipers of the sun god and eventually he became the main god."

"And this one?" Sam asked, motioning to the female god.

"Well, it looks like she's a naiad," Daniel said. "A water goddess from Greek mythology. It looks like they're worshiped together, for fertility and love. And separate as the elements water and air."

"It's amazing how well they mixed," Sam said, touching a symbol carved at the top of the temple. A sun intersected with four wavy lines.

"It was either get along or have a planet with nothing but warfare," Daniel said standing up. He took out his camera and shot a few pictures of the shrine, going around it fully and making sure he got pictures of the plaque and the relation of the temple to the waterfall. "This waterfall is probably seen as the combination of the two gods. Air and water," he commented as he put the camera away.

"Definitely beautiful," Sam said.

"Are you hungry at all?" Daniel asked, realizing from her tone of voice that she didn't want to leave the area yet.

"Is that alright?" Sam asked, looking at him in surprise. She smiled when he took a blanket attached to his pack and laid it down on the edge of the pond. When they were both sitting and had their food several minutes later she said, "A great place for a picnic."

"It would be a nice place for a date," Daniel said, looking at her. "We could come here tonight."

"Oh… no that's okay," Sam said in surprise. "Actually I was hoping we'd stay by the palace tonight. I don't really want to go through the forest in the middle of the night with nothing but a flashlight."

Daniel was surprised at that since he didn't think Sam would be afraid to go through the forest at night. But he kept silent, guessing that there was another reason that she didn't want to leave the palace that night. He watched her surreptitiously as they ate in silence, and soon noticed that she was staring at the temple. When she had eaten the last of her bread he looked up as she stood.

Kneeling in front of the temple, Sam had no idea what had compelled her to suddenly go to it. She reached out to the top of the white building, running her fingers along the markings there.

'_Sam?_' Daniel said gently to her so he wouldn't startle her.

"You read this already," Sam said, feeling Daniel go over to her and kneel next to her.

"Yes, it says-" Daniel began.

"Our love resides here where air and mists combine," Sam read easily.

"How… Sam how were you able to translate that?" Daniel asked, shocked.

"I-I don't know," Sam replied, looking very taken aback. "But… it's been like this ever since we got here. When Thorcamb asked who you were in the native language, I realized I could understand it. But that has to be impossible, I'm terrible with other languages, I almost failed Spanish in high school."

"I doubt you almost failed a class," Daniel said with a smile as he took Sam's hand and stood up with her.

"Well, no I didn't fail it in the end, but I never really was able to speak Spanish," Sam said. "So how can I be able to read this?"

"Sam, you'll probably think I'm crazy but…" Daniel began slowly. "The Princess and Historian, their souls were a part of us right? We were basically their reincarnation so they could get rid of the Ruler. Now what if we still have some aspects of them that they left with us? Our… delight with this planet, your ability to understand, read and speak the language."

"How do you know I can speak it?" Sam asked softly. When Daniel merely looked at her she sighed and said, "_M b'shem ai Samantha Carter aen ei d'me Gi_," trying to say something simple but not imagining she would succeed. She was a little shocked that she spoke it perfectly and looked at Daniel who was smiling slightly.

"_Esi ama af omal_," he said.

"It shouldn't be real, it shouldn't happen like this," Sam said, shaking her head. "But with everything I've seen on this planet… it is possible." She smiled as she thought of something and said, "I'll be able to help you in the library."

Daniel laughed slightly and said, "That would be great, but you don't have to." Before she could say anything to that he said, "We should keep going if we want to get back to the palace before it gets dark."

Sam nodded and they folded up the linen sheet before returning to the main path of the island. By her watch, she saw that it took another hour and a half for them to reach the other side of the island as they took care not to get lost. When they came out of the forest and onto the beach she gasped slightly. "Wow, if travel agencies ever saw this place…" she said.

Smiling, Daniel replied, "We'd better not let anyone at the SGC know about this place. They'll be begging the General to come through the 'gate for their vacations."

"Too bad there aren't any shrines or ruins Daniel," Sam said as they walked down to the breaking waves.

"That's alright, that library's enough consolation," Daniel said with a smile. "Too bad we can't go swimming," he then commented after watching the crystal clear water that looked incredibly calm. He was startled when Sam went past him and walked into the water before diving under a wave. Looking next to him he saw her pack and fatigue shirt on the sand, along with her socks, tucked inside her boots. Looking out to the water again he saw Sam pop her head above the tiny waves around her and he said mentally, '_How is it?_'

'_Nice. Are you going to join me or leave me here all alone?_' Sam said, smiling as she floated up and down as a wave passed her.

For a moment Daniel hesitated, and then he set down his pack and took off his glasses. His fatigue shirt followed so he was left in his black t-shirt. As soon as his boots and socks were on the sand he walked out to the water. And as he stepped in an incoming wave he was surprised to feel the water was warm. He hurried in then and ducked under a wave, surfacing near Sam.

"Hey, thanks for coming out," Sam said as he swam the rest of way to her.

"This isn't too bad," Daniel said as he began to tread the water.

"Yeah, I figured we're at a beach so we might as well take advantage of it." She smiled again when Daniel ducked his head under the water and she followed him. Opening her eyes she ignored the salt and followed him as he went down to the sea floor which wasn't too far from them. '_What are you doing?_' she asked, pleased again they could still speak mentally.

'_I just want to take a look at the sea life here_,' Daniel replied, reaching the sand. He saw what was likely coral and different fish swimming around. He had to breathe so he resurfaced, Sam joining him a moment later.

"We definitely can't bring the colonel here," Sam said as they let a wave push them closer to shore.

"I know, what I saw was beautiful," Daniel commented. "If I were a marine biologist I'd be in heaven. Still, it's nice."

"Want to take another look?" Sam said as a thoughtful expression appeared on his face. "Daniel?" She cried out when he threw a handful of water at her and she instantly splashed him back, laughing as Daniel ducked under the water. She had never felt so happy, almost childlike as he tugged her leg, pulling her under. When they came back up she jumped at him and they splashed each other once more, swimming around in an attempt to avoid the other though it was done playfully.

After a while longer of just swimming or treading water, Daniel and Sam were under the water, swimming back up to the surface. Watching Sam, Daniel reached over to her and suddenly grabbed her and kissed as they broke through the water. He kept the kiss simple, though he was dying to make it deeper, and stared into Sam's eyes as they panted a little.

Smiling, Sam leaned over and kissed Daniel softly before she swam up to the shore. She had been incredibly tempted to stay there, her body pressed close to his. She found herself a little frustrated, as she sat down next to their packs, with their plan to take things slowly. It suddenly became even harder to resist Daniel as he sat next to her. They were both soaking wet, and his black tee was clinging to his chest enticingly. She closed her eyes, trying to push the image of her fingers tracing Daniel's bare chest, exploring every inch of it, from her mind.

Little did Sam know that Daniel was having a similar problem. As she'd sat down his eyes had been drawn to her body, more to her upper body as the wet, tight t-shirt was stuck to her, as a second skin. He was remembering the sight of her when they'd made love. How her breasts had tasted to his hungry lips and tongue. How soft the skin had been to his touch. He nearly had to go back in the water then, though it wasn't cold. But he managed to gain his self control and he eventually lay back next to Sam, looking up at the sky. Though he'd been so preoccupied with thoughts of his teammate, he found himself relaxing, relishing in the chance to be able to lay there, doing nothing but watching the clouds as they drifted across the sky. And with Sam close to him, soon lying back on the sand with him, he felt nothing but absolute peace in that moment.

* * *

Standing at the balcony attached to her room later that evening, Sam shivered slightly in the breeze coming from the ocean. She smiled to herself as it and the sound of crashing waves reminded her of the beach where she and Daniel had spent most of their time earlier that day. It had been great to do nothing more than swim and relax on the sand. She hadn't done something like that in a long time, and she had loved getting to do it with Daniel. Her smile deepened as she heard him in her mind then, and she turned to face her room.

Walking inside, Daniel froze when he caught sight of Sam standing on the balcony. "You… that's the second time you've… floored me in as many days," he said a minute later when he recovered his voice.

"Good, then I was successful," Sam said with a smile as she walked over to him. Before leaving for the island the day before, Monifa had given her a dress that she herself had had made for Sam. It was similar in design to the dress she had worn for the feast but the differences made it look a lot more modern. The dress was of a rich dark cerulean blue silk-like fabric that made her pale blue eyes stand out, along with her sapphire necklace that she had kept on. The dress brushed along the floor, and it had a high waist so the skirts flowed around most of her body. There were normal shoulder straps on it but the neckline was lower, just revealing the tops of her breasts that were pushed up slightly due to the tighter bodice. Monifa had insisted that that she could keep the dress even when she left the planet, letting her know that it had been made with her in mind specifically.

Though Sam had been a little hesitant when she'd seen it, but the way Daniel's eyes went over her form, she decided that the dress wasn't really that bad. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips gently. She was surprised when he stepped back after they had stopped, and took her hand in his, pressing a kiss first to the palm, and then to the back. She bit her lower lip as he looked up at her, his love for her so plainly visible in his bright blue eyes that it took her breath away; as well as affecting in other ways.

"Ready?" Daniel asked, trying to keep his eyes on her neck and everything above. When she nodded and they left the room, he glanced at her body again, and swallowed quickly. He felt Sam's hand slip into his and he smiled at her, ignoring his desire to just stare at every inch of her. "You look so stunning," he said as they went down to the first floor.

"Thanks, this was a gift, from the Princess actually," Sam said, pleased at the sincerity in his voice. "She insisted I bring it and that I take it with me back home."

"That's nice of her, though I wonder if you could wear it on Earth," Daniel commented as they walked out of the palace. He'd set up a simple wood table and two chairs in the garden on the edge of the cliff to the side of the palace. He'd set out a linen sheet on top of the table and some candles that were both for light and atmosphere. The food was simple, just part of their rations they'd brought from the palace on the mainland, but as he looked over at Sam he saw that she seemed happy even with the simple setting.

"This is beautiful," Sam said, smiling as Daniel pulled out one of the chairs that were facing the sea. She sat down and waited for him to sit next to her before she picked up the cup that was next to her plate. "To our first date," she said with a smile.

"To us," Daniel said, smiling in return. He took a sip of the fresh water inside, watching as Sam did the same.

They started to eat then, at first in silence, but after a while Sam asked Daniel about some of his archeological digs, and he quickly answered. It took little time for the two to become so involved in their conversation that they nearly forgot to eat. Both smiled and laughed from time to time as they shared some of their more positive childhood memories with each other. When Daniel told Sam about his first kiss at the age of six, and the surprise/horror that had been on his face after, Sam let out a giggle and leaned over, kissing him softly on the lips. She had to laugh again at the surprise on his face then, but a moment later she was taken aback when Daniel leaned over, cupping her face before they kissed. A slow, languorous one that nearly had Sam sliding out of her chair. When they parted, it took a moment for them to get back to the meal, the heavy desire thick in the air around them that made it nearly impossible to ignore.

When the meal was finished, Daniel quickly cleared the table, blowing out the candles. The moons had risen, though they were thin crescents as Sam waited for him at the edge of the garden which was at the edge of the cliff.

"Sam, look," Daniel said, looking up in the sky as he stood next to her at the railing. Pointing up, there was a streak in the sky that was soon followed by another until it seemed that whole sections of stars and black, inky night were full of the meteors.

Staring up, Sam's face was covered with wonder and delight as she saw the meteors gave off a sort of bluish-green glow before they disappeared from view. "There's some kind of element in those rocks," she said as the shower soon ended. "I've never seen that color though," she looked over at Daniel and saw he was staring at her with a small smile on his face. "What?" she asked, feeling her cheeks heat up a little as her heartbeat sped up slightly as he stepped closer to her and she felt his arms around her waist.

With a small sigh, Daniel began to move, feeling Sam's arms wrap around his neck as they swayed.

"There's no music," Sam said with a smile, moving with him. She pressed her cheek to his before letting it rest on his shoulder. "This has been perfect," she whispered as she closed her eyes.

"I know, I wonder how dating back home will be," Daniel commented with a smile. He heard Sam giggle and then felt her kiss his cheek. Turning his head to look at her he stopped moving and his smile left his face.

"Daniel…" Sam breathed as he leaned down. She closed her eyes as his lips met hers, and she tightened her arms around him. Letting out a little moan as his tongue drew over her lower lip, she parted them for him as soon as he had touched her. She almost clutched him to her, his hands on her back gripping her tightly.

Rolling his tongue along Sam's, Daniel slid his hand up her back and cupped the back of her head as he tilted his own slightly to the side. He lost track of time as she soon was pressing her tongue again his and he hungrily took the opportunity to taste her mouth, her soul. Finally though, he had to breathe so he ended the kiss slowly, surprised to find that Sam's body was pressed so close to his that it was amazing they hadn't melded. He could feel her chest moving in time with her heavy pants, and his eyes were drawn down to her breasts, despite his efforts not to stare. His gaze was soon interrupted when Sam kissed him softly yon the lips, and he held her closer again to delve into her mouth, wanting to taste her once more. The kiss was shorter, but it didn't affect him any less and he realized that Sam would be able to tell how much she had. "We… we should go back inside," he said softly, glancing at her briefly, embarrassed as his cheeks grew warm.

As they walked to the palace, Sam looked over at Daniel, seeing that he looked embarrassed. His hands were in his pockets and he was looking down at the ground. She had been surprised to feel how… strongly he wanted her, but it flattered her at the same time. She wanted to tell him that he wasn't alone in his desire, but remembered their agreement. So to make him feel better she reached over and pulled his hand from his pocket, sliding her fingers around him once he was holding it. The look of relief and the smile that he gave her made her heart beat a little faster as they entered the palace. She squeezed Daniel's hand gently, and as they reached her room she turned to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She wasn't taken aback by the passionate kiss he gave her, but was by the desire it quickly aroused in her, and she made up her mind then and there.

Daniel kept going as long as he could, and when they parted he was going to say goodnight when Sam spoke.

"Come inside Daniel," Sam said softly, staring deeply into his eyes.

"W-what?" Daniel asked in surprise. He realized how idiotic that sounded and shook his head. "Sam… are you sure?" he said, knowing what she wanted from her gaze.

Sam's reply was a simple smile and she pulled on his hand, bringing him in the room with her. She slid her arms over his shoulders as he took her in his arms again, their lips meeting. She gasped as his hands slid down her back and to her derriere, pulling her tighter to him before he moved one hand to the small of her back. She shivered as she felt his hand on her cheek and she slowly pulled away from him. Licking her lower lip slowly, she slipped from his grasp and went to the bed, gasping when Daniel promptly followed, pushing her on top of it gently. She moaned when he quickly followed and lay on top of her and went to her neck, gently kissing it before he began to include his tongue. "Daniel…" she whimpered after a few minutes and he raised his head.

Glancing down, Daniel lowered his head and brushed his lips over the tops of her breasts, feeling her shiver slightly. He looked up into her eyes, and opened his mouth to speak when she stopped him.

Pushing on Daniel's chest, Sam was able to get him on his back, and she kissed him hard as his hands slid up her back to the start of the ties to her dress. "Please," she whispered softly as Daniel held the ribbon in his fingers but didn't pull. She pressed her body down into his hard, and she smiled at his heavy groan at the contact.

"Okay, I just… wanted to make sure," Daniel said. He pushed Sam up so they were sitting, and he pulled the ribbon on her back, tugging it from the eyelets as her dress loosened. His heart was pounding with each inch the ribbon loosened and when it was finally unlaced he looked into Sam's eyes deeply.

Smiling slightly, since she could understand why he was hesitant, Sam pulled off the straps of her dress. She bit her lower lip as Daniel's eyes followed the blue silk down, and snagged on her breasts. She was going to pull away to take off the dress, but his hands stopped her, gently, carefully cupping them in his hands.

"I-I can't really believe I'm here Sam," Daniel said seriously, staring into her eyes. He swallowed as she slipped the dress over her head, and he tried to continue saying, "I've dreamt of this, being with you. For a long time. I don't want to offend you or make you mad."

"You won't," Sam said firmly as she pulled off Daniel's shirt and then helped him with his black t-shirt after he'd set his glasses aside. She ran her hands over his chest, her cheeks growing warm as she felt the muscles, strong from all the working out he'd done since his desencion, shake slightly at her touch.

Seeing Sam's reaction, Daniel grabbed her and laid her down on the bed, slipping off her panties. He then took off his pants and discarded his boxers after them. He was still worried about doing something wrong, but his need and desire for her was too great to ignore. He grabbed one of the pillows at the top of the bed before he went to her, slipping it below her hips. He could feel his heart still pounding hard as he lay between her spread legs. He leaned down and kissed her, gently dipping his tongue into her mouth as he shifted his body slightly. '_I love you_,' he said to her as he finally, blissfully sank into her body; an action that made him groan and had her moaning into his mouth.

'_Daniel! Please… I love you too_,' Sam gasped to him as he began to move slowly in her. She wasn't too surprised to feel the same pleasure as they had their first time, but what did was the fact that the intensity of it built up very fast. She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, crying out slightly as he pulled away from her lips.

"Sam… your legs," Daniel said, nuzzling her neck. He felt them quickly wrap around his waist and he moved a little faster, wanting to give her pleasure. It helped that he was getting the same satisfaction, but it was only secondary. He pressed a few kisses to her neck then, feeling the light sheen of sweat that had appeared on her skin as he kept moving inside of her. As he flicked his tongue to her pulse, racing, he felt her hips move up to meet him and he groaned in pleasure as their skin slapped together lightly. He trailed his lips down, going to her breasts which he took eagerly with his mouth and hands. He could feel Sam writhing, her moans really helping him in his exploration of her body, his free hand sliding over her skin as she cried out in rapture.

Sam felt dizzy as Daniel pulled away from her some time later. The pleasure in her body was growing, so much so that she wasn't sure if she could take it. But she fought it, using everything she could, and just barely kept herself from the end. She could feel Daniel's hands now running over her thighs, stroking carefully. Licking her lower lip she reached down to them and grabbed his wrists, pulling them up.

Staring into her eyes, Daniel seemed to be able to read what she wanted and he rolled over onto his back. As soon as he had his eyes went wide, and he sucked in a breath of air, almost as loud as an explosion in the silent room.

"W-what is it?" Sam asked worriedly as she looked down at him.

"You're so beautiful," Daniel groaned as Sam laid her hands on his abdomen. He reached to them and squeezed her hands, just watching her in joy. The room was lit only by a torch set in a sconce next to the bed, and the light from the moons which together equaled a half moon. It was enough to give her a kind of almost divine glow, and he let his eyes rake her body, unaware that Sam was watching him intently.

Taking Daniel's hands, Sam stared into his eyes as she placed them on her breasts. She slid her hands down his arms as he cupped them gently, never breaking her gaze. She shivered heavily as he then let his hands go down over her sides, sliding over her damp skin. She threw her head back as hard as she could, and cried his name into the night as he thrust up into her once.

Daniel followed very quickly and he groaned her name in pleasure as their bodies moved to each other instinctively. His hands were clutching the small of her back, shaking as they went through the waves of ecstasy together.

Slowing down a bit later, Sam found she was trembling, her limbs weak. She nearly collapsed on top of Daniel, but he quickly pulled her down to him, moving so they were lying on their sides, still very tightly connected. Even as she got her strength back as the minutes went by, she felt herself still shaking, and she looked at Daniel, reaching over to him to touch his lips. "I…" she started to say, surprised to hear her voice shake. A lone tear suddenly snaked down her cheek and she reached for him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, pressing her face into it.

'_I know Sam_," Daniel said to her, kissing her hair. He felt her try to get closer to him, and he smiled a little at that though he was feeling the same rush of emotions that she had. When he felt her stop trembling, he carefully pulled from her and laying on his back wrapped his arms around her as she lay against his side, close as she could. "I love you," he murmured.

"I know, I love you," Sam sighed, feeling a kind of lazy sensation come over her. Daniel next to her was warm, his body slightly most with sweat and she looked up at him intently. "Daniel, when… when did you realize you were in love with me?" she asked hesitantly.

Glancing at her, Daniel saw the curiosity in her eyes and he lightly rubbed her back and upper arm. "I think I was always in love with you Sam, from the moment we met though I didn't know it then. All that happened after I didn't really think about those feelings; I couldn't. And after Sha're was gone… I definitely couldn't think about that. I didn't want to, though it was hard sometimes."

Sam pressed her lips to his chest, feeling his hands lightly squeeze her. She could understand that things had kept him from realizing what he'd felt for her. She had gone through the same thing herself in the beginning.

"But after I came back, when I first saw you on Vis Uban, I felt… so many different emotions. But I definitely felt that I cared for you deeply. And when you came to see me in that tent, I just knew. I was in love with you. I am in love with you Sam." He put his hand on her cheek and tilted her head up to his. He bent slightly, and captured her lips with his, kissing her softly as his tongue gently slid into her mouth.

"Hmm," Sam sighed, feeling Daniel's hand slide down to her breast, squeezing it gently before he circled her nipple with his thumb as it quickly grew taut under his touch. She pulled away slowly from him and smiled as Daniel opened his eyes.

"Tell me Sam, when you fell in love with me," Daniel asked softly.

Sam raised her head and propped it on her hand, looking down at him. "When I first saw you on Abydos… well, even before that I was interested in you. And when I saw you after going through the Stargate, I thought you were incredibly attractive," she said, her finger tracing his bare chest as he flushed slightly, looking away from her for a moment. "And when we talked in the map room… I found that you really were as intelligent as your papers said. I fell in love with you at that point Daniel, but I didn't really allow myself to comprehend it. I tried to ignore it. And you're right, it's hard."

Daniel reached over and grabbed her hand that was on his chest. He brought it to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to the back and palm.

Smiling, Sam cupped his cheek when he let go of her hand and gently rubbed his lower lip with her thumb. "I kept those feelings buried deep Daniel. But you were always on my mind. Even though I was interested at times in other men… they weren't you. They couldn't be. And I never realized that until you ascended…" She stopped, tears welling up in her eyes at the memories and she felt Daniel pull her down into his arms. She felt more under control after a few seconds and spoke again. "During that year without you I realized that I was in love with you. I guess it was like that saying- you don't really know what you have until it's gone. I was so tempted to tell you when we went to Vis Uban that I loved you. But I knew in time you would remember Sha're and I didn't want to make things complicated for you emotionally. Especially if it turned out you didn't share the same feelings for me."

Daniel could feel Sam's sudden unease at the mention of his deceased wife, and he said gently, "I'll always love her. But I love you Sam, deeply…"

"I don't want to take her place," Sam said softly, raising her head to look into his eyes. She reached over with her left hand and placed it on his heart. "Here. I know how much she means to you."

"Yes, but…" Daniel said, hesitating. He sighed as Sam murmured for him to continue and he stared intently into her eyes. "I've spent a while now, knowing that I've loved you from the minute we met. So long that my heart," he placed his hand on top of Sam's then. "Became consumed by you. Not fully, there's always a part that will love Sha're. But the rest, most of it, is yours Sam."

Wrapping her arms tightly around him, Sam kissed his cheek softly before she moved to his ear. She whispered then, feeling him shudder as her breath hit his skin. "I have never been in love before Daniel. But I love you, my heart is yours."

A wide, brilliant smile appeared on Daniel's face, and he kissed Sam hungrily, gently rolling her onto her back. Wrapping her arms about Daniel's neck in return, Sam responded to his eager lips and tongue as best she could. Her heart pounding, she rolled over again with him and sat up hurriedly to straddle him. Staring into his eyes, she shifted and their bodies were slowly connected to their pleasured moans. They made love again, their bodies fully awakened with that kiss. And Sam and Daniel discovered that as the night went on they needed little time to recover after they had reached their peak they were finding so much joy in one another. They didn't stop until it was near dawn, and they slipped under the linen sheet to sleep, wrapped up in each other and completely sated. Emotionally, physically.


	20. Departing Philae

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: Here's a translation for the language in this chapter:  
- _Aokpli_ = Stargate

A/N #2: Thanks so much for the reviews Data's Girl (Glad to see you reviewed again! I was also pleased that you liked the butterfly scene, I wasn't sure how that one would be viewed! Thanks so much again, and I hope you'll keep reviewing!), HAZMOT (Well, I'm surprised that you think so highly of my story, really, because I didn't really think that this story was all that much. So it's great to read your reviews, it really is and I'll miss them when this story is over! Anyways, I'm really glad that my writing was well enough for you to get a sense of the kind of innosense and wonder that I was trying to capture there. And although Sam is in the Air Force, she is a woman and it wouldn't hurt to have her in a dress that flatters her and that she enjoys wearing as well. And I was really pleased you thought the love scene was well done, I just hope you think that as the story progresses! Just to me, the innocent type of behavior- like Daniel does as you pointed out in your review, seemed appropriate for my tory, and I'm glad it was recieved so well. Of course, I had to have them actually communicating with one another about their love, I figure that's normal in a relationship, plus it was great to write out. So I'm really pleased you're still enjoying this, and I hope that you'll like this chapter and all the others that are left!) and Ashleod (I was pleased at your positive review of the love scene, and that you thought it was cute, lol. And you'll have to read on to see if they'll mimic rabbits or not! And yeah, though I'm a dedicated Sam/Daniel shipper, I can't ignore Sha're and I wanted to include her and also say how much Daniel has come to care for Sam since Sha're's death. So I'm glad that you're still sticking around and I hope you'll be here to the end!). I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #3: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Twenty  
Departing Philae

"Is there any reason why we're going here?" Sam asked Monifa as the party slowed their mondaries as they crested a low dune.

It was the morning of Sam and Daniel's return to Earth and the Princess along with her father and some guards were riding with the two scientists to escort them back to the Stargate. Before that though Monifa had led them to where the Ruler's palace had been though she hadn't said why.

"Sam," Daniel said, looking down at the valley the palace had been in.

"Holy Hannah…" Sam whispered, turning to see what he was looking at.

At the spot where the large building had been there was a huge field of the blue flowers that Monifa had told Daniel about. There was no sign of any ruins, or any evidence that there had ever been a palace there.

"It is a sign," Thorcamb said, smiling at the two. "Our world is taking back what was once tainted with evil."

"It's beautiful," Sam said. "What is it about those flowers?" she asked then. "I noticed them all over the island and in the gardens of the palace there and in Philae."

"It is a flower that has not bloomed since the deaths of the Warrior Princess and Historian," Monifa said.

"I was able to touch one of those flowers and it bloomed," Daniel said, looking at Sam.

"He is telling the truth Samantha," Monifa said to Sam's doubtful expression. "It was the power of the sapphire. And now that we are free…"

"We must continue," Thorcamb said after they were silent for a moment. "We wanted you to see what our freedom has brought to our world."

The guards and Thorcamb turned and rode down the sand, Monifa holding Sam and Daniel back. "These are for you," she said with a smile, handing Daniel a leather sack. "It is seeds of the flowers. You must planet them together, it is the only way they grow and bloom."

"Thanks," Daniel said, nodding his head. He tucked the pouch in his pocket and followed the Princess and Sam down the dune to Thorcamb and the others.

The group rode back to the Stargate, the guards remaining behind while Monifa, the King, Sam and Daniel walked to the 'gate. When they reached the DHD, Daniel dialed the SGC and gave his IDC. That done, he walked to the others who had gone to the end of the ramp after the 'gate had opened.

"We look forward greatly to a treaty with your world," Thorcamb said. "We are grateful to have Earth as our ally."

"So are we," Sam said. "Your metal and herb can help us greatly."

"And your history has been very enlightening," Daniel said. The King had given him a scroll as a gift that morning, a copy of the history of Philae that he'd read and translated a bit of on the island. "We owe you many thanks for all the things you've given to us."

"It is part of our debt to you," Monifa said. "You may protest that we do not owe you," she said quickly when the two opened their mouths to speak. "But also, you must remember that Philae is your home as well. You are welcome back whenever you can return."

"Yes, an invitation gladly extended by our people," Thorcamb said. He reached out and grasped Daniel's hands. "Thank you greatly Da'niel Jackson. May you have a safe journey through the _Aokpli_. And you as well Samantha Carter, we thank you as well."

"Thank you so much Thorcamb," Sam said warmly, Daniel echoing her. "Take care of yourself and your people."

Thorcamb nodded his head to the two and then walked to the edge of the clearing as his daughter walked to stand in front of Daniel and Sam.

"I hope that you will take care of each other," the Princess said, taking both of their hands in hers. She smiled as Daniel looked down at the ground and Sam nodded seriously. "The people hope that you will return to Philae in the future. Especially so we can see how your… relationship, as you call it on Earth, grows and matures."

"We'll try," Sam said.

"I personally hope that you will return in time for my wedding," Monifa said. "I am to be married in a year; it would be an honor to have you here for it."

"We will definitely try to come back for that," Daniel said. "Make sure you call Earth if there's anything you need."

"I will," Monifa said. "Safe journey Daniel, Samantha. May Mitha and _B'may_ bless your love."

Bowing their heads to the Princess, Sam and Daniel then turned to go up the ramp to the Stargate. At the wormhole they turned back and saw that the King and Princess were standing by the DHD. They waved and after Thorcamb and Monifa nodded to them, they turned back and walked through the Stargate.

"Welcome back kids," Jack said, waiting at the bottom of the ramp with Teal'c as the two scientists walked out. "Thought you'd be wearing another Philaen getup Carter," he said when they reached him.

"I had extra clothes in my pack sir," Sam replied. She looked up to where General Hammond was, waiting for his orders.

"Major Carter, Doctor Jackson, welcome back," the general said into the microphone from the control room. "Go ahead and get checked out in the Infirmary, and we'll have the debriefing at 1400."

"See you guys then," Jack said as Sam and Daniel left.

"You are interested to learn how they spent their time on the island Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c commented as they left the gate room then.

"Sure, hopefully they were alone there," Jack said quietly in case they encountered anyone walking down the hall. "I hope I'm nearby when they tell the general about them. I'd love to see his reaction."

"I believe they will tell him in private," Teal'c replied.

"Well… it was just…" Jack said. "Yeah, you're right big guy. But still, there'll be a lot of surprised faces once the SGC finds out."

"It is good to see that you are so pleased with Major Carter and Doctor Jackson," Teal'c commented as they stepped into the elevator. "I believe that they are pleased as well."

"As long as they're happy, and they seem to really be," Jack said. The elevator stopped on the floor Teal'c quarters were. He said goodbye to the Jaffa and then headed for his office. As the elevator went down he thought about what he'd said. When Sam and Daniel had come through the 'gate he'd seen immediately that besides looking rested they seemed… content was the word he wanted use. And he'd quickly seen that Daniel looked years younger and Sam did as well. He smiled to himself as he walked down the hall and thought, '_As long as you kids are happy_,' knowing already that they definitely were.

* * *

"Okay," Dr. Janet Frasier said, finishing her exam on Daniel. "You're all cleared and you're fine. I have to wait for the blood test to come back, but I'm sure you're ready to get out of here."

"Sorry," Daniel said, looking a little sheepish. "I wanted to get my report done in time for the debriefing."

"I'll let you go," Janet said. "But," she told the linguist sternly before he could hop down from the bed he was on. "If you feel sick or hurt, even just a little sniffle Doctor Jackson-"

"I'll come back," Daniel promised, having heard the same thing before.

"Then go ahead Daniel," Janet said.

Getting off the bed as Janet opened the curtain around it; Daniel then passed Sam on his way out of the infirmary. He glanced at her and said mentally, '_Will I see you later?_'

'_At the debriefing probably_,' Sam said, smiling back at him before he walked out into the hall.

Janet noticed the look between the two scientists as she went over to Sam to begin her exam. She was surprised at the look that had passed between them. She could have sworn that it was a tender glance on both their parts. And she'd never seen a smile like the one Daniel had had since she had met him. She had a sudden revelation, and she hid her smile. "Okay Sam," she said, taking out her pen light. She checked the major's pupils the doctor said, "So I heard that the planet was pretty nice."

"It, yeah it was great," Sam said, shaking herself from her thoughts. "The colonel must have told you about it."

"He did, but you know he gets tired of forests really fast so it was a brief description," Janet said. "Tell me about it."

As Sam started to tell Janet about the planet and a little about the island, she thought for a moment about the debriefing. She and Daniel had agreed that after the meeting they would tell the General about their relationship. She felt a flutter of anxiety, but quickly pushed it away as Janet was checking her heartbeat. She only hoped that there would be some way that both she and Daniel would be able to remain with SG-1.

* * *

"Hey Danny," Jack said, coming into the archeologist's office. "Get all checked out with Fraiser?"

"Yeah," Daniel said distractedly, typing at his computer.

"So, any chance you'll tell me how that island was?" Jack asked.

"It was nice," Daniel replied, glancing at the colonel for a moment.

"That's it, nice?" Jack said. "So it was terrible then, bugs… too many flowers?"

"No, nothing like that Jack," Daniel replied, saving what he had written so far. He leaned back in his chair and picked up his cup of coffee, taking a sip. "It was…" he started to say, wondering how he could finish so Jack would be satisfied. He finally sighed and said, "It was great."

"Great huh?" Jack said, smiling. "So you proposed."

Daniel nearly choked on his sip of coffee, but he managed just in time to swallow the liquid before he coughed.

"I guess that's a no," Jack said, amused at his reaction.

"Definitely," Daniel said, recovered. "It's way too soon for that. We only just talked about…" he stopped short, shaking his head.

"What?" Jack asked, surprised.

"On the island, we, we decided that we're going to take this relationship slowly," Daniel said, looking at an artifact that was on his desk.

"Why?" Jack asked. "You've known each other for almost six years now. And I've never seen two people as close you guys are. And now with this telepathic stuff… I bet you right now Danny, you'll be proposing in about four months, probably get married a month later."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll really bet on that," Daniel said. "As soon as the base finds out about us then there's going to be all kinds of betting on our proposal, wedding date…"

"Kids," Jack said under his breath, though he knew Daniel could hear him.

Ignoring that, Daniel proceeded to type again saying, "Is there a reason you came in Jack?"

"Well, I wanted to see how your vacation went," Jack said. "And to ask when you're planning to tell the General about you and Carter."

"After the debriefing," Daniel said.

"Okay, I'll see you there," Jack said. He walked over to the doorway and turned to the linguist saying, "Don't worry about the general; he'll do everything he can to make sure you guys stay on the team."

"Thanks Jack," Daniel said, smiling briefly at his friend. He sighed when Jack disappeared into the hallway and leaned back again. Now that the debriefing was getting closer, he felt nervousness building up. He was afraid that the general would be forced to take either him or Sam off the team. He had told Sam he would leave SG-1, he was just worried about a negative reaction from the head of the SGC. He tried to push aside his anxiety and return to this report, but it sat in the back of his mind and he could only hope things would work out for him and Sam.

* * *

"You're finished," Janet told Sam as she stepped back from the astrophysicist. "Come to my office for a second."

Sam was a little surprised at the request, but she followed the doctor to her office. Sitting on the other side of Janet's desk she asked, "What did you want to talk about?"

"You and Daniel were alone on the planet," Janet said. She watched as Sam's cheeks lightly reddened and then said, "I noticed the look that you gave him in the Infirmary. I've never seen you two look at each other like that. At least not when you were face to face with him."

"Janet… I, Daniel and I…" Sam said, knowing her fried had already guessed what was going on. "He loves me; he's in love with me."

"And you told him you're in love with him too," Janet stated. Ever since Daniel's ascension she'd been able to tell that the Major felt more for him than just friendship. She'd confronted Sam about it one night, and the scientist had, almost in tears, admitted that she was in love with Daniel.

"Yeah, we're dating now," Sam said. "We had a date on the planet actually. On this island palace that the royal family let us use. I really do love him Janet, he's incredibly romantic."

"I told you," Janet said with a smile.

"I know, and you were right, he feels the same," Sam said. She hesitated for a moment and when Janet asked her what was wrong she said, "I have a feeling that this going to last. That we'll be together without anything… happening."

"You're right," Janet said, knowing she was referring to her bad track record with men she had been interested in in the past. "It is Daniel after all. The man with twelve lives." She smiled when Sam laughed softly, and saw how the woman fairly radiated, her face softer and almost younger in appearance. She then thought of something and asked, "Is the Colonel aware of you two?"

"Yeah, so is Teal'c," Sam said. "Actually, they both discovered us kissing, so we didn't really have to tell him."

"When did this start?" Janet asked in surprised.

"On the planet," Sam said. "I'll go into more detail after the debriefing Janet."

"What about General Hammond," the doctor asked. "You'll have to tell him."

"We're going to after the meeting," Sam replied. "I'm worried that one of us is going to have to leave the team."

"What if that's the case?" Janet asked.

"Daniel's offered to resign from the team," Sam said. She sighed at the doctor's surprised reaction and then told her, "I'm really touched he'd do that for me, for us. But he loves going through the Stargate and we need his expertise to help us against the Gou'ald. Actually, we haven't really worked out which of us will leave the team if it comes to that, but I'm sure Daniel will insist."

"Hopefully the General will work something out," Janet said supportively since Sam looked a little upset.

"I'd better go," Sam said, noticing the time then. "We'll talk later Janet."

"Sam, what about Cassie? When can I tell her about this," the doctor asked with a smile.

"Oh… um," Sam said, thinking for a moment. "You can tell her whenever you see her. I'll try to call her, see if I can arrange a shopping trip or something with her soon."

"I'll let her know," Janet said with a smile.

"Thanks Janet," Sam said as she stopped at the door and looked back at her friend.

"You're welcome," Janet said, still smiling. "And I'll say it again, I was right."

Sam smiled and left the office, hurrying to the elevator. She was nervous again about what would happen after the debriefing, but she tried to think about what she would tell the general about what happened on Philae. That distracted her enough until the elevator stopped and she hurried to the briefing room. She saw that Daniel was there already, and she smiled slightly at him as she walked to sit in the chair next to him. Since Jack and Teal'c weren't there yet, and the general was still in his office she said mentally to Daniel, '_I told Janet about us_.'

'_What did she say?_' Daniel asked, glancing at her.

'_She knew already how I feel about you_,' Sam replied, looking at Daniel's report that he had in front of her chair already. '_She'd been able to guess when you ascended that I was in love with you. So it didn't take her too much effort to see that there was something different between us in the Infirmary earlier_.'

Jack and Teal'c entered the room then and a moment later the general came out of his office to sit at the head of the table.

"Major, Doctor Jackson," Hammond began. "The colonel and Teal'c already told me what happened to them on PTX-617. I want to know what happened to you both. Especially since what happened exactly seems to involve you two directly."

Daniel started after he and Sam shared a look, going over what occurred after the team's arrival on the planet up to the point where the sandstorm had started.

"I was running with the others sir," Sam said, taking over when Daniel stopped at saying that they headed for shelter. "When I heard a voice shouting for help."

"And you had to go and help," Jack said, wryly.

"Yes sir," Sam said simply. "I ran through the woods and I found a native man, his animal's reins were tangled in the trees and I cut it loose. By then the sand was blowing around me and I became disoriented trying to get to the shelter, so I'm not sure where I ran at that point. I tripped after a while and I broke my ankle."

"Dr. Fraiser cleared you though Major," the general said, looking surprised as did the others.

"I know," Sam said. "I'm not sure exactly what happened to my ankle."

'_The Ruler?_' Daniel asked her. When Sam replied yes mentally he said, '_Then I guess he was good for one thing_.'

"What happened after that Major?" the general asked.

"I noticed in front of me that a wall of sand was coming towards me and," Sam continued. She paused for a moment before she then said, "I saw the shape of a face in it before it overtook me and that's the last thing I remember."

"A face," Jack said. When Sam nodded in response he asked, "Have you watched _The Mummy_ lately Carter?"

"It wasn't that kind of face," Sam said. "More like… the sand sunk in, but really sir it doesn't matter. All I know is that the next thing I remember was waking up in a bed, my ankle perfectly fine."

Sam went over what had occurred after that, meeting the Ruler and what he had told her about the Warrior Princess and Historian. From there Daniel talked about Monifa, and he reluctantly told the general about the sapphire and what he'd been able to do with it. General Hammond stared at the archeologist in surprise, and then looked at his teammates.

"I can confirm his… abilities sir," Jack said quickly.

"You saw him make an object float in the air?" Hammond asked.

"I witnessed this as well General Hammond," Teal'c said. "Daniel Jackson was able to control the sapphire itself and move it in the air."

Sam looked over at Daniel in surprise, he hadn't told her about that exactly, nor that the colonel and Teal'c had seen him display those abilities.

"And this was because of a… stone?" Hammond asked.

"Yes, I'm not that kind of scientist, so I don't know really how it worked, but I was able to move objects with the sapphire either on my person or in close proximity," Daniel said. "But nothing else by myself."

The general's eyebrows rose slightly and he said, "Continue please."

Sam and Daniel went on, skipping their ability to communicate telepathically to each other. They had agreed already that they would talk about that once everything else had been told. Hammond looked surprised when the two talked about what had happened in the palace, but he didn't say a word, merely nodding to show that he believed them. It wasn't until they had finished that he spoke, leaning forward with his hands folded on top of Daniel's report.

"So these people, the Philaens thought you were the reincarnation of Monifa and Hath," he started. When the two scientists nodded he asked, "Did they believe you were gods?"

"No," Daniel said quickly, firmly. "The Princess and Historian helped to kill the first Ruler by banishing the sapphire where his power came from which led to the Ruler's death by the then King Nassor. They were regarded as heroes and symbols of hope and peace for Philae. But they were never considered gods."

"And do you believe that you are these people?" Hammond asked.

"What we believe isn't really important," Daniel said, glancing at Sam briefly. "The Philaens believe that we were the reincarnations of Monifa and Hath."

"You do believe it," the general said gently. When the two didn't say anything, only looked at each other, he nodded. "I guess with everything you went through it's understandable. I have a feeling though, that you've left something out."

"Yes, it's something that the Ruler did to Sam and I," Daniel said. "It happened after the Ruler appeared to the Council."

"I was taken to the throne room where the Ruler was," Sam said, picking up as he paused. "Very angry that the Philaens weren't giving him the stone. He then told me that he would make sure that Daniel would come to the palace and bring the stone with him. He did something with his hand in front of my forehead and I felt intense pain inside my mind."

"At the same moment, I think, I felt a very strong pain inside my head too," Daniel said. "I passed out eventually, as did Sam when it happened to her."

"I don't think I was out for too long, when I came to I was back in my room at the palace," Sam said. "And the Ruler came in and told me to contact Daniel. I had no idea what he was talking about, and when I refused to, he began to… strangle me. He kept on doing it until I agreed to contact Daniel. And… I did so as soon as I was alone in the room."

"What do you mean by contact?" Hammond said, looking confused.

"I mentally contacted him," Sam said slowly.

"And as soon as she spoke I heard her and replied. We were able to speak to each other," Daniel said.

"You're… telepathic now," Hammond said after a moment's pause. "This didn't end with the Death of the Ruler."

"No, we've been able to speak telepathically ever since then sir," Sam replied.

"Are you able to speak with others?" the general asked.

"We've tried, but no, only each other," Daniel answered.

The general was quiet for a long time as Sam and Daniel looked across the table at Jack and Teal'c. They all suddenly realized that there was something they had forgotten during the chaos of their mission. NID. If the general had to report Sam and Daniel's new abilities, there was the possibility the scientists would try to take the two and experiment on them, to attempt to learn how their telepathic and empathic abilities worked, which Daniel, clearing his throat, told him about, relaying the fact that he'd felt Sam's pain during her strangulation.

Hammond took that news with a simple nod, and he took a moment to speak. "I'll have to report this to my superiors, and NID will likely hear about this," he said. "But right now I want you two to report to Dr. Fraiser. Tell her everything about your abilities and let her perform any tests she feels is necessary. I want to make sure you weren't harmed because of this."

"What about NID?" Jack asked. "I don't want part of my team taken and prodded and poked like lab rats."

"We'll have to see what happens when they get word of it," Hammond said. "And if they do want to take the Major and Doctor Jackson…"

"I can refuse to let them take me," Daniel said quickly. "I'm not a part of the military."

"Alright, let's get an exam done first before we worry about anything else," the general said.

As everyone stood up, Sam said hurriedly, "Sir, Daniel and I need to speak with you."

"More to add?" Hammond asked in surprise.

"We need to speak privately sir," Sam said, glancing across the table briefly at the colonel and Teal'c.

"Come into my office," the general said. He watched Sam and Daniel walk ahead of him and inside his office. He sat down at his desk and folded his hands together as the scientists sat in the chairs in front of him.

"General, there's been a change in the… relationship between Sam and I," Daniel began nervously.

"Yes, Daniel and I have begun dating, sir," Sam said anxiously when the general didn't say anything.

"I'm guessing that this happened while you were on Philae?" Hammond asked.

"Yes," Daniel said slowly. "We know that while it's not exactly against regulations since I'm a citizen… we're not sure if you will approve of this since we are teammates."

"Well, I think what I have to say first, off the record, is that it's about time," Hammond said.

"Sir?" Sam asked in surprise, glancing at Daniel for a moment.

"I've noticed the way you two have interacted and how close friends you've been," Hammond said with a smile. "I've been waiting to hear this from you for a while now. As for you being together and being teammates…" He raised his hand and motioned to Jack and Teal'c still in the briefing room. When the two had entered the office and the door was closed behind them he said, "I'm sure you two know about Major Carter and Doctor Jackson." The colonel and Jaffa nodded and Hammond continued saying, "Then what do you think Colonel O'Neill? Would you want them to remain on your team?"

"I think you know what my answer will be already sir," Jack said. "I wouldn't mind them on the team while they're in a relationship, they'll be able to work still without any problems, I have no doubts about that."

"That brings up what I want to ask you both Major, Doctor," Hammond said. "Would you be able to maintain a professional attitude while you're here and off-world?"

"I won't have a problem," Daniel said. "I've always been concerned about Sam, and being a relationship with her won't really change that fact."

"That's how I feel about Daniel sir," Sam said quickly.

"I believe you, but for now until I get word from those in charge, I'm going to place you two on a probationary period to see how you work," the general said. "Colonel, Teal'c it will be your duty to report anything that the Major and Doctor do that will break this probation."

"We will sir," Jack said, Teal'c nodding once next to him.

"Now that we've got that settled, Major Carter, Doctor Jackson, please report to the Infirmary," Hammond said, standing up. "And as of tomorrow, SG-1 is on stand-down for a week."

"A week?" Daniel asked.

"With everything that's happened with you both, that time will be needed to see what will happen once it gets out that you have telepathic abilities and are able to feel each others pain. Dismissed."

Walking out of Hammond's office, Jack said, "Hopefully after Fraiser's tests you guys'll be able to enjoy your little vacation."

"I'm sure we will," Sam said, glancing at Daniel. '_That went better than I thought it would_,' she said to him mentally.

'_I know, I really can't believe that Hammond expected us to be together_,' Daniel replied as they got into the elevator with Teal'c and Jack.

'_What do you think the test results will be?_' Sam said after a pause.

'_Nothing probably, maybe some changes in our minds, but nothing that would be a health risk to us_,' Daniel replied. '_We'll be able to enjoy the next week._'

Sam tried not to smile at the tone of Daniel's voice and she nodded at him, missing the grin that appeared on the colonel's face at that. Instead she found herself a little excited for their week off, wondering what exactly they might be doing during that time together.


	21. Results

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: Thanks so much for the reviews HAZMOT (As usual, your review was just so fantastic to read, I loved it! I'm so pleased that you liked the flowers, I really like them myself :D. And I wanted to have something that they could take back to Earth to remind them both of Philae and the Princess and the Historian. And I'm glad that you like the idea of them returning to Philae. And I'm glad that you mentioned 'a little time together' I really do :) Thanks so so much for the review again, and I really hope that you'll continue to do so, I appreciate it so much! Hope that you enjoy this chapter!), Ashleod (For starters thanks so much, I didn't even know that you'd reviewed as I didn't get an alert for it! So it was a nice little surprise to see it! And I'm glad that I got something close to how it is on the series, hehe, glad you liked that. You'll have to wait and see about the NID... sorry but I do want you to continue reading this :D Hope that you enjoy this chapter, and I can't wait to see what you think about it!) and CouldItBeMagic (I hope that you find a name that pleases you soon! Anyways, thanks for the review, I was pleased to recieve it! Oh, I'm a little worried at your desire about NID... hmm well, I just hope that what I have in the story you'll like it anyways. I hope you'll like this chapter!). I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #2: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Twenty-One  
Results

SG-1, General Hammond and Doctor Fraiser were gathered around the briefing room table later in the afternoon. After Sam and Daniel had talked to the doctor about their abilities she had immediately begun tests on them; MRIs, CAT scans and everything else she had. Needless to say the two scientists looked a little ragged, and they were both drinking coffee that the doctor had grudgingly agreed they should drink.

"I can tell you first off sir," Janet said after Hammond had asked what she had found. "That Major Carter and Doctor Jackson are in perfect health. There's nothing medically that would point to them having these abilities. Now, I performed another test… not exactly a normal one, but I separated the major and doctor and had Major Carter read something mentally to Doctor Jackson who then wrote it down."

"He got it all right," Jack stated before the doctor could continue.

Janet nodded and then said, "I did the same in reverse, and the major was able to do the same perfectly. Their telepathic ability is very real but they're only able to communicate with each other. I have no idea why that is… and I don't think anyone would be able to figure out how this happened."

"And what about their empathic connection?" Hammond asked.

"Judging by what they told me about what happened on the planet," Janet said. "Their empathic connection doesn't occur unless they're in extreme pain or stress."

"So you can say on your report, with absolute certainty that we can't communicate with anyone else?" Daniel said.

"No General Hammond, I tried to have them speak mentally with me and Jack and Teal'c, trying the same test I did with just the two of them," Janet said. "But there was no success. This ability, and their empathic link, is only between them."

"So… NID really wouldn't have much to learn or benefit from testing them then?" Jack asked. "Since it's just between them and there's no real evidence of what started it…"

"I'll make sure that's noted in my report," Hammond answered. "But whether or not they'll lose interest remains to be seen. You know how stubborn they can be when they want to get their hands on something new. If that's the case though, I can assure you Major Carter, Doctor Jackson, I will do whatever I can to make sure you will not leave the SGC. I can go to the president if I have to. I'm sure I'll be able to convince him that he owes you both a favor."

"Thank you sir," Sam said, nodding her head as Daniel murmured the same.

"Alright, we'll see how things go once the reports are submitted. I'll see you here in a week for your next mission. SG-1 dismissed," Hammond said, standing up.

"So what are you kids going to be up to your week off?" Jack asked once the team had left the room and was headed for the elevator.

"We don't know Jack, we haven't had a chance to talk," Daniel said, smiling to himself at that. Before when Jack had asked that he had been referring to him and Sam separately. It was a nice change, and great to see that Jack seemed to approve of it.

"Well, if you find you've got some time, I have a new movie to show you, and Teal'c here too," Jack said. "I'll get some meat on my grill, have a movie night that we haven't done for…" he trailed off, pretending to think. "For a long time."

"That would be nice," Daniel said after questioning Sam mentally.

"You know it's going to take a while to get used to watching your guys' minds actually meld whenever you do that," Jack commented as the elevator stopped at the floor Daniel's office was on. "Hey, don't work too late Danny, you are on vacation now," he called as the linguist stepped out.

"I'll try not to Jack," Daniel called over his shoulder. '_I'll see you later Sam_,' he said to her mentally.

'_Right, I'll stop by later on_,' Sam replied, smiling slightly.

"Yep, definitely weird," Jack said under his breath though his 2IC heard him. He chuckled at the glare she quickly shot him, and said, "But still pretty neat."

* * *

Later that night, nearly eleven, Daniel was still in his office. He had been working on some translations that had come from other SG teams the past few days while he'd been on Philae. Two were from artifacts, while another he was still working on was a rubbing from a chamber in a temple. The translation had been slow going and Sam had had to literally drag him to get dinner as he'd been so wrapped up in it. After they'd eaten with Teal'c; Jack had been working on some paper work amazingly; Daniel had returned to his office, taking the elevator with Sam.

He had noticed that no one was looking at him and Sam as they entered and left rooms and hallways, which was a relief since it meant that the news about their relationship and abilities hadn't leaked to rest of the base yet. Daniel knew though that at some point they would find out, but he was glad for any delay of it for as long as possible.

Yawning, Daniel took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes for a moment before he looked down at the rubbing on his desk. He'd managed to finish it and he looked at his watch. He decided then to get Sam and get her to go home since he knew if he didn't she'd remain on base all night. He quickly gathered his things to take home along with a few things that needed to be done he could take with him, and once he had everything he left.

* * *

"Damn," Sam swore as she pressed the button on the object she was working on. She let out a small yawn and shook her head to clear away her fatigue that she was finding hard to ignore, having been working for almost seven hours in her lab. But she wanted to try to finish up her analysis of the object from P4T-835 that SG-19 had brought back, a weapon that seemed to freeze the blood of whoever was shot by a tiny metal arrow that came out of it. But it was proving very difficult, and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to figure out how it worked on her own.

'_At least I've done more than just sit here working on this thing_,' Sam thought to herself as she opened a panel on the left side of the weapon. After she had left the briefing room earlier in the afternoon she'd written her report on what had happened on Philae and sent it to the general. Once that had been done she'd taken a look at a staff weapon that the colonel and Teal'c had brought back from Philae, testing it to figure out how it was able to put out an electrical shock. She herself had been given another staff weapon as a gift before leaving the planet; Daniel had been given another staff as well, matching hers exactly; and they were etched with designs along the side to the trigger. She had been eager to figure out how they worked so she had spent a while working on it. Once she'd finished everything she could with the staff weapon she had moved to the weapon with metal arrows and had worked continuously on it, only taking a break for dinner.

She was looking at the inside of the weapon closely when she sensed someone watching her. Looking up, she saw it was Daniel and smiled at him. "I haven't been working so long it's tomorrow morning is it?" she asked.

"No, it's about five minutes to eleven," Daniel said, looking at his watch. "PM though," he continued, a small smile appearing on his face. "I came to pry you from your lab and get you to go home."

"You don't have to pry me," Sam said, still smiling. She closed up the panel on the machine and put away the tools she had been using. "I'll probably have to send that thing to Area 51," she said as she finished up by grabbing everything she needed to take home and walking over to where Daniel was waiting. "The technology is too advanced for me to even hope figuring out how exactly everything is wired up inside. Plus the poison that covers the darts doesn't even exist on Earth according to my tests."

"Maybe by the time you come back you'll be able to figure it out," Daniel said.

"That would be nice," Sam said. By then they'd entered the elevator and were heading up. Since they were alone she asked quietly, "What were you planning on doing this week besides our movie night with the colonel and Teal'c?"

"Well, I'd like to-" Daniel started to say when they had to move to the other elevator to get out of the base. There was an airman in that one, so he instantly opened his and Sam's link and said slowly, a little nervous, '_I'd like to go out one night Sam. So we can say we've had a date on Earth too_.' He looked over at her and saw the corners of her mouth turn up for a moment before she replied.

'_I'd love that_,' Sam said. '_What were you thinking of doing?_'

'_Well, I would like to take you to a restaurant_,' Daniel said, forming a plan in his mind as he spoke.

'_Anything else besides that?_' Sam asked, looking at him as the elevator stopped.

Daniel waited to answer her, and didn't speak until they were walking towards their cars, this time he spoke out loud as there was no one in the parking lot. "I'll think of something," he said.

Sam looked over at Daniel, knowing that he already had. But she didn't say anything until they had reached her car. "I'll… um, call you tomorrow," she said, hesitating.

"You can just talk to me," Daniel said, knowing what she was thinking about. "Actually, with this ability we should be able to save on our phone bills."

Laughing, Sam opened the door of her car and put the box she'd brought with her inside. "You do have a point," she said turning to him with a smile on her face. "I'll contact you somehow, but maybe we could have lunch or dinner tomorrow. But I may clean up my house at some point. I hate to think how bad it looks after being away for so long so unexpectedly."

"I'll probably be doing the same," Daniel said. "I'd hate to imagine what my fridge looks like now."

"Then I'll see you for dinner?" Sam asked.

"Sure," Daniel said, smiling. He looked around to see if anyone was in the parking lot then. They were alone so he stepped closer to Sam and wrapped his arms around her. As she leaned against him he lowered his head, and their lips met gently in the middle.

Her heart pounding, Sam almost threw her arms around Daniel and hugged him tightly. The kiss was short though, and she sighed in disappointment as he pulled away from her.

"I'll do better tomorrow when we're out of the way of prying eyes," Daniel said. "Good night Sam."

"Night Daniel," Sam said as they parted. "Sleep well."

Nodding, Daniel stepped back as Sam got into her car and he waved as she left the lot. Walking over to his car, he found that he felt a little lonely, but pushed it aside as he had been feeling that way ever since the night he and Sam had first made love. Instead, he focused his thoughts about the next week, and smiled, knowing that he had some work to do to make his and Sam's date even more special. And as he left the mountain a minute later he felt better, even more eager than usual for his vacation to start.

* * *

It was a little after twelve when Sam climbed into her bed. She yawned widely as she turned off the light on her nightstand and laid down. Sighing as her body relaxed she looked up at the ceiling though she couldn't really see it. She was still exhausted from her work that afternoon, but as the minutes went by she found that she couldn't sleep. She tried to change her position a few times but it didn't help. She kept moving then, until finally she gave up and laid on her back as she'd started, looking up but not really seeing what was above her.

She already knew why she was having trouble sleeping; it had occurred ever since the night she and Daniel spent in the forest of Philae. The two nights that she had spent alone afterwards she had taken a long time to fall asleep. It embarrassed her a little, but she couldn't deny it. She had greatly enjoyed being asleep close to Daniel in the forest, and later on the island in his arms. And without him, she felt lonely.

'_In such a short amount of time I'm already so used to him_,' she thought to herself. She tried to fight a yawn that had built up, but she wasn't able to stop it and she sighed, knowing that she needed to get some sleep if she would be able to enjoy her week off. So she began to let her mind wander a little when she felt the pendant of her necklace roll onto the hollow of her throat. Smiling, she reached up and touched the gem, her memories triggered as she ran her fingers over the pendant.

The morning after their date on the island Sam had been awakened by Daniel's lips all over her neck and when she opened her eyes, he had taken the necklace in his fingers, rubbing the gemstone before she had pulled him on top of her body. Her face began to heat up in the darkness of her room as she recalled the feel of Daniel's arms wrapped around her body as they made love. His lips hungry on her skin. She had to quickly push past that memory, as it was affecting her physically.

When she felt a little calmer, she recalled what had happened after she and Daniel had finally climbed out of bed. They had eaten quickly before going to the library where they would spend as much time as they could looking through at the different scrolls. Actually, she had looked through the scrolls, translating what was on the tags attached to them as Daniel did the same on the other side of the room. When there were five scrolls on the large table in the center of the room they had sat down, dividing them between them; three each after Daniel had added the history of Philae scroll to the pile. They then began to translate, writing quickly on pads of paper that Daniel had brought with him in his pack.

Sam had found herself enjoying that morning even though she had never really worked on translations before. It had been the fact that she and Daniel were working together that had really appealed to her, even though they weren't translating the same scrolls. She had been a little reluctant to stop their work for lunch, but Daniel had insisted which amused her since he too had been working intently on his scroll. But they had stopped and eaten in the gardens that were just outside the library's wide doors. They had started a conversation on what they'd translated so far, ending up speaking Philaen for a few minutes before realizing what they were doing. They had paused, but then continued in the same language, recognizing with surprise they were as comfortable speaking that language as they were English.

After their lunch, Sam and Daniel had continued their translations. Sam had been able to translate a scroll on the mountains where the metal of the staff weapons was found, as well as about the sapphire-like gemstones that were abundant in the same range. After she had finished she had helped Daniel with his scroll since it was so long. As evening fell they reached the end of the first part of the Philaen history scroll, and Sam was waiting for Daniel to take it from her so he could take a turn reading. But he had put down the scroll, and picked her up to her short cry of surprise, kissing her roughly as he carried her over to a divan-type piece of furniture near the doors facing the gardens and ocean.

Sam was blushing again at the memory of Daniel's hands and mouth touching her, pleasuring her then… She shivered as she could almost feel him on her skin, and sighed as she closed her eyes, just remembering. How she had told him, after he'd driven her to the brink of insanity and ecstasy and back, that she had known he was skilled with his hands and mouth; especially his tongue; but never _that_ skilled. A small smile appeared on her face as she recalled the blush on Daniel's face when she'd told him that, and how she'd worked quickly to return the favor for him. After she had finished she'd found she had a very healthy appreciation for Daniel's body, and she had nearly pleasured him a second time; her hands stroking and exploring him again; before he'd taken her hands and rolled her onto her back, his tongue slipping into her mouth as he entered her willing, aching body.

Skipping ahead to what had happened after they'd finished making love, Sam totally relaxed. She soon felt herself falling asleep, the memory of Daniel carrying her up to her bed in the palace to sleep in each others arms the last thing she remembered.

* * *

Lying back in his bed, Daniel was wide awake though he had weariness creeping up on him with every second that passed. But he had been unable to stop the loneliness from earlier to return once he'd gotten into bed. He had never realized how large his new bed was until then and he let out a sigh, wondering what Sam was doing at that moment. '_Likely she's sleeping_,' he told himself and he sighed again before he turned over onto his side. But he found that he was uncomfortable and flipped over onto his back. He looked above him and felt his eyes droop closed slowly. He felt relieved and let himself drift off, not aware how long it took him, just glad that he was finally falling asleep.

That night though he didn't dream peacefully, instead he was thrown straight into a nightmare. The first thing he saw was Sam being strangled by the Ruler. He looked on in horror as he heard the bones in her neck snap and she was flung to the floor, motionless. He tried to force himself to wake up, but instead the dream shifted and changed and he was back in the room Sam had been at the Ruler's palace. This time the man had Sam on the bed and it was obvious he had just finished raping her. Daniel tried to move, tried to do something as the Ruler beat her savagely then, the impact of his first on Sam's face making him sick. But he was frozen in place as Sam tried to struggle but soon her body went limp.

Before he could really comprehend it, the nightmare grew dark before he was back in the room again. This time Sam ran towards him, fear etched on her face as she cried out for him to help. The Ruler was running right behind her and when Sam stumbled he was on her, grabbing her by the hair and tilting her head back. Daniel tried to look away, to close his eyes but could only watch as the Ruler drew a sword cleanly across Sam's neck, her bruised and bloodied face a mask of horror, her eyes pleading with him for help. "_Daniel!_" she cried before the sword passed through her vocal cords. Blood spilled as the blade kept pulling back, and the last thing Daniel saw was her head falling to the ground, her cry of his name echoing as he came awake, sitting up in his bed and yelling, "Sam!"

Opening her eyes, Sam felt Daniel's yell echoing over their link and she realized that her heart was beating furiously, and she was panting. But she had just come out of a dreamless sleep, and quickly realized that she was feeling whatever Daniel was from a dream. '_Daniel? Are you okay?_' she asked through their link that was still open.

Daniel's head, buried in his hands, shot up at the sound of Sam's voice and he froze, realizing she must have sensed the terror he'd gone through from his nightmare. '_I'm fine Sam. I'm sorry I woke you up_,' he answered, her voice having sounded like she was coming off of sleep.

'_What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?_' Sam then asked, wanting to know why she was feeling such an intense sensation of dread from him.

'_It's nothing, I'm fine_,' Daniel said quickly. '_You should try and get some more sleep, it's still pretty early_,' he then told her, getting up so he could get a glass of water to calm himself down. He'd had many nightmares since he was a child, but this one had him incredibly scared that in some way it would true, he would lose Sam. The thought was horrifying, and he quickly decided that he had to hide what he feared from her. He didn't want her to know that he was scared to lose her because he wouldn't be able to save her in the future.

'_I'm not going to be able to go to sleep now Daniel_,' Sam replied, getting out of bed. She ran to her closet when she felt him trying to close their link. '_No!_' she cried, physically opening the door to her closet as mentally she held their connection open. '_Tell me what's wrong_.'

'_It's nothing, it doesn't matter_,' Daniel said, wondering how she had managed to stop him. He was in his kitchen by then, and he had stopped in the middle of the room as he'd felt her efforts.

'_It's not, I can feel its not_,' Sam said, the fear and horror coming through the link again, making her scared herself. '_Daniel, I'm coming over there. We need to talk_.' And she quickly closed the connection and grabbed a few things from her closet before stuffing them haphazardly into a bag. She didn't really care about the mess that was inside it; she merely zipped it up and ran out to her car. She drove across the city to Daniel's house, still feeling remnants of his nightmare. She arrived quickly and hurried up to the door, using a key that he'd given her a few months before. Inside she saw the house was dark and quiet and she went to the bedroom where she found Daniel sitting up against the headboard of his bed, looking off to the side of the room blankly, appearing pale in the moonlight. "Daniel?" she whispered, taking off her jacket and shoes and sitting next to him.

Daniel remained silent, not wanting to answer her. He kept his gaze fixed on a point in the distance. He knew that if he looked at her, he'd see his nightmare of her dying repeatedly and him powerless to stop it.

"Look at me please," Sam said, worry putting an edge to her voice.

At that Daniel felt a twinge of guilt and he turned his head. He winced when he saw the concern in her voice reflected in her blue eyes and he lowered his head into his hands again, reliving the moment in his nightmare when the Ruler had cut her throat. "Please, go, I can't do this now Sam," he groaned, rubbing his eyes, trying to remove the image from his mind.

"It must have been an incredibly bad nightmare," Sam said, moving so she was perpendicular to him but still at his side. "I had a few of those while I was held in the palace." She paused, hoping he would open up to her, but he remained silent. "Don't do this Daniel, not now," she said, getting on her knees close to him. "Don't push me away." He still didn't answer and she felt a flash of irritation, but it quickly disappeared. She knew what he was trying to do, and when she really thought about it the more she understood the reason. He was afraid of losing her, and losing the happiness he'd found after so many years without any kind of real joy in his life. But she needed him to know that he was not alone in that fear. And that he was simply just not alone.

"Daniel," she whispered, cupping his face in her hands. She made him look up at her and she said, "You're not alone anymore. I want to share your life. Everything Daniel. The good and the bad. Tell me please what you saw in your dream. Then look at me and see that it hasn't come true." She ended in a whisper as Daniel's eyes closed and she felt her heart clench painfully, thinking that he was still not going to let her in, and she felt tears burn the backs of her eyes.

"I dreamt… you were… I lost you Sam," Daniel said, opening his eyes to look at her. "Even before I went to the palace I had those dreams of losing you. I don't want that to happen."

"It won't," Sam said firmly. "The Ruler is dead Daniel, he's gone. And I know you're worried about what might happen on future missions, but I will do everything I can to keep from leaving you. I don't want to lose… us either."

Searching her eyes, Daniel could see how serious Sam was and he took her hands that were on her lap. Pressing them to his mouth and then his heart he said, "I will never leave you."

"I know," Sam said, pleased that he'd opened himself up to her, if only a little. It was a step in the right direction. "And I'll hold you to that one," she said before wrapping her arms around him and kissing him.

It took a second for Daniel to take in the kiss, but as soon as he had he was pulling Sam to him tightly, his tongue running gently over her lower lip before she parted them both. As they were slowly exploring each other then he felt their connection open, and he could sense her happiness for a moment; intense and powerful; and he tried to send what he was feeling, basically the same, to her as he cupped the back of her head with one hand, slightly deepening the kiss.

Sam was a little disappointed when Daniel pulled away a while later but she quickly realized that it was the middle of the night and he was probably exhausted. "Don't hold things back from me anymore," she said then. "You know you can tell me."

"I do, I'm sorry Sam," Daniel replied with a sigh. "And you know the same goes for you too." When she nodded he kissed her lightly and then said, "We should get some sleep. Oh… do you have clothes, things you need?"

"I threw some stuff in a bag before I came," Sam said, getting off the bed and going to where she'd left her bag; setting it on a nearby dresser with her jacket. She went back to the bed where Daniel was laying. She climbed in next to him and wrapped her arms around him, her head resting on his chest. Already the action was second nature, she hadn't really thought about how she was going to lay down, she had just done it. "I guess we'll be getting together sooner than we thought today," she commented. "You don't mind me staying tonight?" she asked when he didn't say anything. She shivered as she felt his lips on her forehead, and she looked up at him. "Daniel?"

"Sorry, I'm just… making absolutely sure that my nightmare was just that," he replied. "I really don't mind you being here, you shouldn't have to ask that. I'm really glad you're okay."

"Hmm," Sam replied, half asleep though she was trying to stay awake.

'_Night Sam_,' Daniel said with a smile, rubbing her back gently. '_Sweet dreams_.'

'_You too Daniel_,' Sam said seriously, rousing herself for a moment. '_I love you_.'

'_I love you too_,' Daniel replied softly as her breathing grew deep and even. He pressed a kiss to her forehead again, and then relaxed, forgetting all about his nightmare. With the warmth of Sam's body in his arms it took little time for him to fall asleep himself. This time, with her holding on tightly to him, he was able to sleep, no more nightmares disturbing the contentment that was filling them both through their still open link.


	22. Together

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is real, but I've never been there. So I relied heavily on the web site it has and also my own experience at a Natural History museum near where I live to describe the exhibits as best I could. They're not going to be perfect, but I did try my best!

A/N #2: There is a love scene in this chapter, and a description of one as well. Just a warning, though this story is rated M for a reason!

A/N #3: I mention a TV show called _Mystery Science Theater 3000_ in this chapter. I really love the show, and I wanted to include one of the episodes. If you've never seen this show, basically it's about a man and two robots forced to watch terrible movies (mainly sci-fi but there are other kinds) and they make fun of them as they watch it. It's really good and I have quite a number of episodes on DVD. One of the episodes is a movie called Starfighters, and it's about Air Force pilots, so I thought it would be appropriate to include here, though the movie is absolutely awful, lol. And I mention another episode though there's not much importance in it, _Parts: The Clonus Horror_ and the background behind it that I mention in the chapter is real.

A/N #4: Thanks so much for the review HAZMOT- Always nice to read your reviews; this time especially since you were the only once this time. I suppose to explain it, Daniel's dream got him to lower his guard down which allowed Sam to feel him, since I figure when you're asleep you're not as able to concentrate on things. And after feeling the terror that Daniel had felt from his nightmare, I suppose it made the most sense that she went to him. And I'm pleased you could see that Daniel needs Sam greatly. And I figure the honesty part in a relationship is a big thing, so I had to include it here, especially for these two. I loved your line about those two can't live without each other and that's exactly what I was trying to convey there, so happy that you caught it, though I did expect you to :D And the nightmare was just Daniel's fear of losing Sam; I figured it made sense since it was a traumatic experience for him and he nearly lost her because of it. So thank you so, so much for the review, I'm so pleased to see that you're sticking around for it all :D And I hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter as well! I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #5: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Twenty-Two  
Together

Opening her eyes, Sam took a moment to try and remember which house she was at as she looked at the ceiling once the sleep was out of her eyes. Blinking a few times, she recalled that she had remained at Daniel's house after they had returned from their day trip to Denver the night before. She sighed as she turned to Daniel who was on his side facing her, his arm slung over her waist. She placed her hand on top of his that was on her stomach. She'd had to try and wake him from a nightmare the night before, but Daniel had still woken up yelling her name and filling her with horror and fear. She'd spent a long time after trying to comfort him in some way, and to assure him she wouldn't be taken away from him. It took time, but finally he'd fallen asleep, the troubled look on his face fading away as he relaxed.

Studying him in the morning light, Sam found herself thinking how everything he had gone through seemed to materialize on his face. The expressions of guilt or fear, his sorrow or his determination to set things right, and even to some extent the rarer ones of happiness and laughter; all of those had succeeded in drawing lines across his face. She wished that wasn't the case but it still saddened her that once SG-1 had started, he'd seemed older than his years. But ever since their week had started she'd seen more smiles grace Daniel's handsome face than before. And she herself had found that she was happier as well with everything they'd done the past two days of their stand-down.

The first day, after the night that Sam had unexpectedly spent at Daniel's, she had helped him clean up around his house. Only after Daniel had made her swear that she would let him return the favor at her home after they had finished at him. They had finished up things at Sam's home later that evening and had ordered a pizza since they had been too exhausted to go out and get anything. It had been nice, watching a special on the History Channel about the Apollo space program that Daniel had paid attention to closely, which meant a lot to her, and having a very simple dinner. She had fallen asleep later on, leaning against Daniel and her cheek pressed to his shoulder. He had picked her up when he saw her sleeping and Sam had woken up as he'd laid her down in her bed. She had asked Daniel to stay that night and after he made a quick trip home for his necessities he was climbing into bed with her, holding her to him after he had pressed a kiss to her lips.

Smiling, Sam pressed a kiss to Daniel's chest above his heart. It had been great to have him at her home that day, to see how much he'd willingly helped her with the various chores that needed to be done. She knew that she was very lucky in that, not many men would really participate in things like cleaning out a fridge with a number of interesting spoiled items, or dusting the entire house as he'd done that day. She remembered her thanks to Daniel when they had finished, a kiss that was so deep and intense that it took a full minute for the linguist to reply with a 'you're welcome' once they had parted.

The next day she and Daniel had gone to Denver, calling the rest of their team to see if they wanted to join them. Teal'c had declined, and Jack, who had talked to Daniel, had said something about not wanting to be a third wheel, or have to watch the two lovebirds all day. Daniel had blushed at that, and after hanging up Sam had asked him what their CO had said, and she too blushed.

They had left as soon as Daniel had finished a second cup of coffee and was awake. They had spent the drive over talking most of the time. It still amazed her that they had enough to talk about during that time, and it only served to reinforce that she and Daniel were incredibly suited for each other and she was again fortunate. Thinking that during the ride she had reached over and placed her hand on his leg, getting his attention instantly. Seeing his startled look, Sam had quickly withdrawn her hand, blushing and murmuring an apology. A few seconds later, she felt Daniel's hand take hers and put it back on his leg. Smiling at him, she had suddenly grown more eager for their trip.

Once in Denver they had visited the city's Museum of Nature and Science, a place they'd been to before, but never alone together. There had been a lot to see, so they'd spent the better part of the day there. They'd had a great time looking at all the exhibits, but they took special pleasure at the Egyptian Mummy and the Space Odyssey sections. But even at the others they'd had a great time. And Sam had been amazed again by how much Daniel knew about a lot of the things they'd seen.

In the exhibit on gold and its importance through different cultures he told her about the various theories on the legendary city of El Dorado. There was even a theory that the city was built under the direction of the gods and that those gods were in fact aliens. She and Daniel had mentally talked about the possibility that it was real, maybe another Lost City, but of the Gou'ald instead of the Ancients. It was then they both realized even more how beneficial their telepathic ability was, as it allowed them the freedom to talk about what they saw off-world without having to worry about the public overhearing. And as they moved on they decided to continue speaking in that manner to ensure a private conversation.

At the Egyptian Mummy exhibit Sam had listened almost spellbound as Daniel told her everything he knew about mummies and the process of burials. When she had first seen a mummy, as a young girl, the sight had scared her. But with Daniel talking so passionately in her mind she had understood how fascinating it was to see how much the Ancient Egyptians revered death and the afterlife. Daniel had grown excited when he learned the museum had some pieces found at a tomb in the Valley of Kings. Sam had watched him in amusement as he spent almost fifteen minutes staring at the two objects, reading the plaques in front of them. When he had finally pulled himself away he had told her about the objects, a _sistrum_- a musical instrument, and a necklace. He was still talking excitedly to her as they'd walked to the next exhibit and she had felt that excitement through their link, making her smile at him which had caught his attention.

Though they weren't alone, Daniel had grabbed Sam's hand at that point and kissed the back of it. Her face burning, they had walked into the next exhibit, Gems and Minerals. She had never really liked gemstones that much, but as they looked at the different ones on display she'd found her eyes drawn to the sapphire, topaz and all the other blue tones. Daniel, having watched her, had commented that she was probably retaining that from the Princess who; they'd been told; had adored the color blue. As Sam had realized that he was right, she touched her pendant and smile to herself as she could almost see the way the stone sparkled even though the lights in the exhibit were very low. Looking at Daniel from across a display case, she could see his eyes were drawn to her necklace, and she could sense his desire as he walked around the display case they were in front of to her. He'd pulled her into a dark corner at that point, and kissed her so roughly and passionately that when they had waked out to leave their lips were swollen and they were panting lightly. But neither one cared, satisfaction on their faces as they walked into the Native American Indian Cultures exhibit hand in hand.

When they'd gone through the Space Odyssey exhibit a little later, Sam found herself telling Daniel about everything they saw, going into great detail. She had quickly noticed that he was listening to her, really listening with a small smile on his face. She was very pleased about that, as she was always afraid that with a significant other they would space out or never pay attention to a word she said. But she could tell that Daniel really was listening, taking in everything she said even if he didn't understand it all. She knew that he was trying to, and it deeply touched her as they finished walking through the last few exhibits.

Sam smiled to herself as she remembered leaving the museum. She had dragged Daniel to her car in the parking lot where there was no one else around, and she'd kissed him softly, pleased to feel him respond quickly a moment later. When they'd finally left about ten minutes after that, Daniel's face was slightly red, and Sam had no problem resting her hand on his thigh that time.

Sighing, Daniel opened his eyes and looked down at Sam who was awake on his chest, seeing that she looked to be thinking intently. '_Morning_,' he said mentally to keep from startling her.

"Morning," Sam replied, raising her head to look at him. "Sleep okay?"

"Great," Daniel said with a smile, squeezing her hips. He smiled wider when she gasped in response and said, "What are you planning on doing today?"

"I should deck you for that first off," Sam said, laughing when Daniel looked startled. She brushed her lips across his and got up.

"Where are you going?" Daniel asked as he sat up.

"I'm starving and you wanted to know what we're doing today," Sam said as she grabbed his hand and tried to pull on his arm. She cried out lightly in surprise when he pulled her back on the bed with him. She wasn't too taken aback though when he kissed her, but she quickly broke it off. "You're just asking for it," she said with a smile.

Daniel simply smiled back at her and let her go before he got off the bed. As they went down to his kitchen he asked, "You said what we're going to do? You're not tired of me?"

"No, I don't think I'll ever say that," Sam said seriously. "And… I'd like us to take this free time that we have to spend together. Who knows if we're going to get a week off like this anytime soon?"

"You make a good point," Daniel said, pulling out some things from the fridge. "So what're your plans?"

"I'm not sure," Sam said, thinking. "Actually… I need to go shopping," she said a moment later as she recalled their date. "I need some things for the day after tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me," Daniel said, breaking some eggs into a bowl. He felt Sam's surprise and looked up at her. "I need some things too I just realized."

"So we're going to the mall?" Sam asked. When Daniel nodded she then said, "You don't mind?" When he shook his head she smiled and walked over to him, hugging him from behind. "I love you."

Turning around quickly, Daniel wrapped his arms around her and took her lips. The kiss was slow and gentle, and he was reluctant to pull away, but finally he had to breathe and knew she did too. "I love you too Sam," he said as they caught their breath. They fell silent and he continued to hold her to him, feeling her heart pounding against his chest, matching his own heartbeat. He was happy, he was content.

* * *

Stepping into Daniel's shower an hour later, Sam closed the glass door and immediately stepped under the water. It had been a half hour since she and Daniel had made breakfast, and as they'd eaten she had said she needed to shower. Right away Daniel had told her to go ahead as soon as she was finished eating, and that he would clean up and get ready to leave during that time. She had tried to protest, saying that it wasn't fair since he'd made most of breakfast, but Daniel was adamant and she was in his bathroom while he was working in the kitchen again. She felt a little guilty about that, but he had assured her so she tried to forget it as she thought of what she would need to purchase once they went to the mall. She was so deep in thought that it wasn't until Daniel was right next to her that she noticed him and had to hurriedly bite back a scream.

"Sorry," Daniel said quickly.

"That's okay," Sam said, calming down. She then shook her head and said, "Why are you in here?"

"Well it is my shower," Daniel said, smiling slightly before he backed Sam against the wall.

"I know, I just meant why are you in h-heeere…" Sam began, trailing off with a heavy moan as Daniel leaned over and pressed a kiss to her neck before sucking on it. She threw her arms around him as she kissed him, letting her body pressed close against his.

Groaning a little as Sam pushed against his very obvious arousal, Daniel slid his hands down to her derriere and lifted her up, leaning her against the wall as her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. He shuddered in pleasure as she flicked her tongue along the moisture on his jaw, and he shifted slightly until he was able to slip inside her body. "Ah god Sam… m-my… _love_," he gasped out after they both let out a sigh at their connection.

'_Don't, don't wait_," Sam said through their link. '_I want you Daniel_.' She cried out at his first thrust, and held on tighter to him as he continued in earnest. She was lost in a haze for a while then, letting everything he was doing to her take over her body, her head tilted back against the wall and her lips parted in pleasure.

Raising his head from her neck, Daniel kissed Sam roughly. He felt her hands slide up to his hair and he pulled away from her lips, pressing his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes intently. As he was doing that he tried to send his emotions he was feeling through their connection. He had no idea if it worked, but Sam suddenly cried out and clung to him tighter.

"Oh god, I-I can feel…" Sam moaned. She had dimly felt Daniel's emotions as soon as he'd come into the shower, though she hadn't really opened their link. But it was enough for her to feel what he was feeling, and the sensation, while a little disconcerting at first, was quickly becoming an added stimulation as they continued making love. "You… you," she gasped as Daniel's head bowed down to her breasts. She found, with his mouth working hungrily over her wet skin, that she couldn't really speak. So instead she communicated to him mentally. '_You really feel like this about me?_'

'_You know I love you Sam, you can feel it right now. And I feel you, your love, your pleasure…_' Daniel replied, amazed he was able to speak to her as he was busy with her body. '_This has gotten stronger. It wasn't like this first time we were together_.'

Sam suddenly gasped and her hips jerked against Daniel's as he hit a pleasure point deep inside her. And for the moment, their strengthened empathic abilities were forgotten as they seemed to both go a little crazy. Their lips met hungrily while their tongues joined and rolled, tasting each other. Daniel was moving faster, his hands tightly holding the small of her back. They kept on kissing, though sometimes they were so frenzied that they forgot to breathe and they parted with a sharp explosion of air, cheeks pressed tightly together.

Panting heavily as she and Daniel took a moment to catch their breath, Sam felt her body moving along with his. She hadn't even been aware that she had been but it increased the pleasure that was making her whole body literally throb. She moaned and gasped as Daniel's lips ghosted over her neck, tongue darting out here and there. Her hands scrambled to try and hold on to him as he suddenly reached between them with one hand, touching her and making her scream, "D-Daniel!" as her body slid up the wall, back arching. When he didn't stop moving his fingers and rubbing her pleasure point, she reached down to his hand, trying to stop him. When he wouldn't, she begged him mentally saying, '_I'm not going to last… please! It's all too much!_' her body overcome with everything she was feeling from what he was doing to her and feeling as well.

Daniel was hanging by his last thread of self control. He was also feeling Sam's emotions strongly, her joy and the pleasure that had steadily grown in her body with each second. He tried to thrust a little deeper, kiss her harder as he needed that release. His body was taut with tension, and he watched Sam as she suddenly froze for a moment before she started to scream, his name echoing off the shower walls as he soon followed her, shuddering and his body jerking into her roughly. '_Sam… Sam…_' he said mentally as his legs seemed to give out and they both slid to the floor. He was shaking in the aftermath of their climax, having felt Sam as she had reached her height of ecstasy.

"I'm, I'm glad I can give you the same pleasure you do me," Sam said when she felt a little stronger. She felt Daniel's face bury into her neck and she smiled, kissing the top of his head. She sighed when he pulled away a minute later and looked into his eyes. She felt her heart clench at the sight of his bright blue eyes sparkling at her, and the expression of intense satisfaction on his face. It left her a little weak-kneed and her heart pounding quickly.

"We should… finish that way we can go," Daniel said, wondering why Sam was looking at him so intently.

Realizing that she was staring, Sam nodded her head slightly and carefully got off him. She felt a sense of disappointment the instant they separated, but shook it off as she stood and grabbed some of the soap that Daniel had for her to use. But before she could use it his hand appeared. Looking into his eyes, she flushed slightly as he soon started to wash her body. "You… we probably won't leave for a while if you keep that up," she said, shaking from enjoying his gentle touch.

Not saying a word, Daniel leaned over and wrapped his arms around Sam, kissing her gently. As he slipped his tongue into her mouth Sam quickly responded, forgetting her words that she'd spoken only a moment before. The two held on tightly to each other, letting everything else around them disappear, only concentrating on one another as their bodies merged once more.

* * *

After having a light lunch at a café near the mall, Sam and Daniel went inside the shopping center. "I'll meet you here in an hour," Sam said after they had looked at a map of the stores for a while.

"Sure, you have the extra keys to my car?" Daniel asked, since Sam had told him she didn't want him to see her dress until the night of the date.

"Got 'em," Sam said with a smile. "Have fun," she called as she walked over to the elevator after kissing Daniel on the cheek.

Daniel replied, but mentally, '_You too. Love you_.' He smiled when she laughed through their connection and responded in turn. He looked around and started walking in the opposite direction that Sam had. The first store that he entered was not a clothing store, but instead one that sold state of the art gadgets. He looked around for a while until he found what he was searching for. He was able to make his purchase easily though the price of the item was a bit expensive. It didn't matter though, he had enough money since he hadn't spent any the year that he had been ascended, and he lived pretty simply as a bachelor now that he was back. As he went out to his car, watching out for Sam, he grew a little excited for their date. He only hoped that everything would work out once the night rolled around. After the box was under the back seat in his car, he returned to the mall, disappearing inside a men's clothing store, his eyes sharp as he looked over the suits, trying to imagine what Sam would like to see him in.

At the same time, Sam was inside a dressing room, looking at herself in the mirror attached to the wall. She had been browsing through three stores so far and hadn't seen anything that she had liked. She wanted to get Daniel's attention, as she had on the island, and had realized that she wasn't really paying attention to some dresses that weren't a certain color. It made her shopping a little harder, but finally after a half hour she thought that she had what she was looking for in the dressing room. Her body began to heat up as she imagined Daniel's expression when he would see her in the dress, and she quickly changed back into her blouse and jeans to pay.

With the dress in an opaque plastic cover on her arm ten minutes later she looked at the time and say that she had another ten minutes until she had to meet Daniel. She decided to go to the bookstore until that time was up and she began to walk in that direction when she heard a familiar voice calling her name. Turning, a smile lit up her face as she called, "Cassie!"

"Sam!" the red-haired young woman cried, hugging her tightly once she'd run up to her. "Mom told me, is it true?"

Looking at Janet who had come up behind her daughter, Sam smiled and looked at Cassie. "It is, Daniel and I are together."

"Oh Sam, I've been waiting for you guys to finally see it," Cassie said with a brilliant smile as she let Sam go and stepped back. She looked down at the dress draped over her arm and smiled wider asking, "You guys have a date tonight?"

"Actually we're going over to Jack's tonight," a voice said from behind Sam. Daniel smiled as Cassie went to him and hugged him as he said, "We've got a date the day after tomorrow."

Cassie nodded and she studied Daniel and Sam as they exchanged a glance. She could have sworn they were speaking mentally to each other. She looked at her mother and saw that she seemed to be a little surprised.

"Sorry about that," Sam said, shaking herself after Daniel had asked her something mentally. She handed him her dress then and caught Cassie looking at them with a scrutinizing expression on her face. With some surprise she said to Daniel, '_I think she suspects about us. She was watching us just now… and she's watching us again_.'

'_Do you think we should tell her?_' Daniel asked, glancing at the young woman and seeing she was still staring at them. '_Maybe you should talk to Janet_.'

Sam nearly nodded in response, but was able to stop herself in time. As Daniel left to take their purchases to his car she turned to Janet and Cassie with a smile and said, "Why don't we go to the coffee place and talk?"

* * *

"So you guys told Cassie about your mind meld?" Jack asked in surprise as he sat down with a bottle of beer.

"Well, she pretty much guessed it when Daniel and I did it in front of her sir," Sam replied.

It was around seven that night and the members of SG-1 were at Jack's house. They'd had dinner earlier; some barbeque that Daniel had insisted he make with the colonel. After they had gathered around Jack's TV, ready with popcorn and beer; juice in Teal'c's case; to watch the movie that Jack had told them about at the SGC.

"What was the reaction of Cassandra Frasier upon learning of your ability?" Teal'c asked as the movie began to play.

"She was surprised at first," Daniel replied. "But I think it was more because we can only speak telepathically to each other."

"After she got over that though she wanted to test us, but luckily Janet convinced her that our 'gift' as she put it, wasn't something that we needed to perform like it was a trick," Sam picked up. "But she still thought it was really cool, and said our relationship had a bonus now."

"Yeah, but you guys have had that psychic connection since you met," Hack said. "The fact that it's stronger just means you've got a new… angle to your relationship." He realized after a moment that the others were staring at him in surprise and he said, pretending to be offended, "What? I catch Oprah sometimes."

"I don't think she's talked about couples who are telepathic and empathic Jack," Daniel said, looking at Sam and sharing a smile with her before she fought to maintain a serious expression. "It seems you're not without intelligence."

"Hey if anyone deserves an asset like this it's you two," Jack said.

Feeling Sam's slight embarrassment at that, Daniel quickly asked, "So what's this movie you're showing us?"

"It's actually a TV show," Jack replied. "_Mystery Science Theater 3000_."

"I've heard of that," Sam said. "Isn't it about making fun of bad sci-fi movies?"

"Yeah, but this episode has a movie called _The Starfighters_," Jack said. "Apparently it's about the Air-Force."

"Apparently?" Daniel echoed. "You haven't seen it?"

"No, Feretti told me about it, a cousin of his is a big fan of the show. He gave Feretti the movie as a gag birthday gift and he let me borrow it," Jack said. "Hopefully they don't insult the Air-Force." And he pressed play on the DVD menu.

For the next hour and a half, SG-1 watched the movie/episode. Laughing; though Teal'c mostly raised his eyebrow; at most of the jokes, there were moments when Jack and Sam cringed slightly though. But they kept quiet, not saying anything until the credits to the show came up and Jack stood to take out the movie, asking the others as he did so what they thought.

"The comments were funny," Sam said. "Well, most of them. But the movie itself was just awful."

"Yeah, there wasn't even much of a plot," Daniel said.

"I do not understand why this film was named _Starfighters_. They never reached outer space," Teal'c commented.

"You've got a good point," Jack said. "Maybe they made a sequel, Starfighters 2: This Time We _Will_ Make It into Space."

Sam laughed softly at that while Daniel gave a little chuckle. Teal'c raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Indeed."

"Okay, well kids it's still early," Jack said, putting the DVD away. "We've got time for another movie, or you two want to get home?"

"Another movie would be nice," Daniel replied.

"Alright, then Carter, why don't you and Teal'c pick one out," Jack said. "While Daniel and I make some more popcorn."

Squeezing Sam's hand as they got up off the couch they were sharing, Daniel followed Jack into the kitchen, setting empty beer bottles and Teal'c's glass on the counter. "So what did you want to talk about Jack?" he asked after the colonel had put a bag of popcorn in the microwave. He smiled as Jack turned to look at him in surprise, biting back a laugh.

"Did you-" Jack began.

"It's not really hard to figure out why you asked me in here," Daniel said.

"Right… so, how are you and Carter doing?" Jack said.

"Fine Jack, we've only been together for about a week," Daniel replied, expecting the question already.

"That's long enough to know if you made the right choice," Jack pointed out.

"I knew the second I saw her on Vis Uban that I had," Daniel said firmly, and as soon as he had spoken he felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment at his admission.

"You've been in love with her for that long?" Jack asked in surprise. He was taken aback when Daniel shook his head and said, "When did you…?"

"I think the second I saw her on Abydos, but really I didn't know then I felt anything for her. It wasn't until we were in the map room that I felt something for her, and then it was just the sensation that she was… a kindred spirit the way we connected. But after I came back and I saw her, I just knew," Daniel said, feeling a little self-conscious still.

The colonel was quiet, looking at his friend. As he thought about what Daniel had said, and what he'd seen of the two scientists together, he knew that Daniel was very much in love with Sam. Probably a bit more in love than he had been with Sha're, but he wasn't entirely sure. All he knew was that Daniel was smiling more and looked a lot happier than he had in a long time. He'd watched the linguist and astrophysicist while they were watching the movie, and he'd never seen either one of them smile as brightly as they had when they had looked at each other. But he wanted to hear the words spoken by Daniel so he asked, "Does she make you happy?"

"Yes," Daniel said simply, unaware that his features softened. "Even in a little lest than a week I've been happier than… well, than I've been since Sha're."

"I'm just glad you found someone Danny Boy," Jack said, clasping his shoulder. "I always thought it was high time you got a life _outside_ the SGC. Hopefully Carter will help you with that, and you'll help getting her out of the mountain every once in a while."

'_Daniel?_' came into the linguist's mind then. He nodded to Jack and said, "We'd better get back, Sam and Teal'c are waiting for us."

"Alright," Jack said, grabbing the popcorn before he and Daniel went back into the room. "What movie did we pick?" he asked as he sat down in his armchair.

"It's one of the movies on that set Feretti gave you," Sam replied, Daniel sitting with her on the couch again. "_Parts: The Clonus Horror_."

"Why that one?" Daniel asked.

"Apparently that movie called _The Island_ is a remake of this movie; done without permission," Sam said in a kind of matter of fact tone of voice. She noticed that the colonel and Daniel were looking at her in surprise when she finished. "Cassie likes Ewan McGregor; she made me watch the movie once and told me about it," she explained.

"Let's see how the original is then," Jack said as he pressed play.

An hour and a half later the movie was over and Teal'c was the first to speak. "What is _Biography_?" he asked.

"It's a show where they profile a person's life, usually a well known person. The guy running for president in the movie used to be the host of it," Daniel said. "I can't believe they made this movie, it was incredibly stupid."

"Yeah, even my intelligence was insulted by that," Jack said. He then noticed that his 2IC was almost asleep next to Daniel. "Looks like you better take Carter home Danny," he said, motioning to her with his head.

Sam opened her eyes and rubbed one for a moment as she sat up. "Sorry sir, I'm more tired than I thought I was," she said.

"She hasn't been working these past three days has she?" Jack asked Daniel.

"I have been some sir," Sam said, sounding a little irritated.

"We better go Sam, you do look pretty tired," Daniel said, standing up.

Jack hid a smile as Sam almost immediately lost her irked expression and took Daniel's hand. It was then that he remembered something he'd forgotten to ask his teammate. "Daniel, come here for a sec," he said as he went to where they'd put their jackets by the front door earlier that evening.

A little confused, Daniel went into the entryway with Jack asking, "What is it?"

"Sorry, but I forgot to ask you," Jack began. "When are you going to tell Carter's father about you guys? I'd have asked her too, but when someone's that tired…"

Daniel nodded absently, realizing that he had forgotten about Sam's father. He grew nervous, wondering if Jacob Carter would approve of him dating his daughter. He knew the man liked him already, but that was because he was good friends with Sam. Now that he was her boyfriend…

"Hey, you okay?" Jack asked, surprised to see his friend seemed to be paler than normal. "Daniel, I don't think you need to worry, Jacob already-"

"Yes, but that's as Sam's friend," Daniel said, interrupting him. He shook his head and said, "I haven't had a chance to think about telling him yet… I'll have to talk to Sam about it. And I'd better go."

Jack turned as Daniel walked over to where his and Sam's jackets were, Teal'c and Sam coming into the entryway then.

"Do you need a ride back to the base Teal'c?" Daniel asked the Jaffa.

"It is not necessary Daniel Jackson," Teal'c answered. "Colonel O'Neill has offered to do so already."

"It wouldn't be a problem," Sam said.

"Nah, you kids go on home," Jack said, grabbing his keys. "It sounds like you two have been doing a lot the past couple of days. Finally about time you guys stopped gravitating back to the SGC every time we get time off."

"That reminds me," Daniel said, looking at Sam. "We should probably head over to the base tomorrow; see what's piled up for us."

Sam smiled as Jack opened his mouth, a frown on his face. But he quickly saw the expression on Daniel's face and then Sam's. "Oh just get out of here!" he said, shaking his head and smiling wryly.

"Bye Jack," Daniel said.

"Goodnight sir," Sam said as she and Daniel left the house.

"Night Carter, Daniel," Jack called as they got into Daniel's car. "It wouldn't surprise me," he said to Teal'c as they walked to his car. "If they did go to the base tomorrow."

"Daniel Jackson and Major Carter will return to the base in three days," Teal'c replied.

"How do you know that?" Jack asked in surprise.

"Major Carter informed me that her father is arriving that day," Teal'c replied.

"Oh, I see," Jack said. He smiled as he started the familiar drive to Cheyenne Mountain thinking to himself, '_Ah Danny, looks like you're going to be telling Jacob sooner than you thought… I wonder if I can "happen" to wander over to the SGC that day?_'

* * *

Back at Daniel's home, Sam was laying back on her side of his bed. On the drive towards her house he had asked her to stay the night again, and she had quickly agreed. The thought of sleeping alone not appealing to her at all. She sighed deeply as she heard Daniel turn off the faucet and she turned on her side as he came out into the bedroom.

"Jack reminded me about something before we left," Daniel commented, sliding under the covers next to her.

"About what?" Sam asked as he put his glasses on the nightstand. Once he was lying down she immediately wrapped hr arms around her, her body pressing against his side.

"Your father," Daniel said, looking at her.

Tensing up, Sam realized that Daniel was right. They needed to inform her father about the change in their relationship. With all that had happened her father had slipped her mind, but now that she was thinking about it she was pleased that the subject had been brought up. "You're right; we do need to talk to him. And we'll have the chance to soon," she said.

"Soon?" Daniel asked, surprised.

"He's coming in three days," Sam said. "We can tell him then." She pressed her cheek to his shoulder, and realized that she was sensing anxiety. "Daniel?" she asked, raising her head as she recognized that it was coming from him.

"I'm not sure if I'm that good a man in your father's eyes," Daniel said, not meeting her gaze. He then sensed a strong sensation of love, and he slowly looked up at her. "I want his… blessing Sam; I want him to approve of me."

"He will," Sam replied softly, cupping his cheek in her hand. "He already does like you. I don't think that will change now that we're together." She watched as he nodded, but didn't look reassured. "Daniel," she said with a smile. "You know that it's me you're with in the end right?"

"Yes, but still, having-" Daniel started to say. He was cut off when Sam leaned down and kissed him. His eyes went wide briefly before they closed, and he slid his arms around her, clutching the small of her back as her tongue gently slipped past his lips. He groaned deeply before bringing his own tongue to hers, and they began to fight against each other playfully. In the middle of that, he felt her hand slide over his chest and under the covers, coming to rest on his arousal that had built up with their kiss. '_I thought you were tired?_' he asked, groaning out loud when she lightly squeezed him.

Pulling away from Daniel for a moment to take a quick gasp of air, Sam went back to kissing him. As her hand started to stroke him gently she replied, '_I'm not anymore_.' She cried out a little as he suddenly moved them around so she was on her back, and she moaned as he pressed his body heavily between her legs. "Oh god," she gasped, leaning her head back as his mouth quickly found her neck.

They undressed each other then, trying not to let their lips part for too long. Once they were naked, Daniel slowly slid into her body, and began to make love to Sam. She cried out as he rocked gently against her and she wrapped her arms tightly around him. They kissed deeply for a while at the start, but eventually they parted, and Daniel ducked down to her neck. He sucked and licked, kissed and gently tongued her skin, Sam almost screaming through their link as he did so. He soon moved down to her breasts, and she could barely stand the sensation of his mouth hungrily suckling at her nipples.

Daniel was slightly taken aback when Sam asked him, mentally, to move faster. But he complied quickly, as she had almost screamed it to him, and kissed her hard as their bodies began to move the bed underneath them. Sam tried to last a little longer as he trailed his lips over her neck and chest, but the pleasure that had built up in her was too much, and she crested over the edge, crying out his name. Daniel was unable to take the sensation of her body writhing, clenching around him and with a yell he followed her, shaking heavily as he hit the peak of his pleasure.

Trembling a little Sam pressed her forehead to Daniel's hair as he slumped slightly on top of her. Her eyes were closed tightly, and she pressed to lips to the moist strands of hair. "I… I love you," she whispered as she felt a little stronger. A shiver went through her as he groaned against her neck then. She stroked the back of his head and looked deep into his eyes. She took his gentle kiss then, loving the way his lips felt against hers before he pressed his forehead to hers. "What's wrong?" she asked softly, seeing an unreadable expression on his face.

"Sam you do know how much I love you, right?" Daniel asked, pulling back slightly so he could look in her eyes.

"Of course, I can feel it through our connection," Sam replied. She cupped his face in her hands and whispered, "You can't feel what I am right now?"

Closing his eyes, Daniel nodded quickly, he could sense her emotions, almost as if they were his own. He slowly moved off Sam, and he sat up on his knees, pulling her into his arms. He hugged her tightly, trying to send all his emotions to her. He felt her hug him tighter, and he knew that she could feel it.

Her heart beating rapidly and feeling almost lightheaded, Sam pressed her lips to the side of his head and said, "I've never felt this way for a man," her voice sounding awed. She pulled away form him and saw a look of understanding on his face as he pulled her closer and their lips met tenderly, gently.

When they parted, Daniel pulled the covers down so he and Sam could lie on the mattress. Once they were covered and he had her in his arms he murmured, "I've never loved a woman so completely Sam. You… understand me so well, it's amazing. I love you."

"Hmm, I know I never thought I'd get the chance to meet a man like you," Sam said sleepily. "I love you too."

Smiling, Daniel kissed Sam's forehead and said mentally, '_Good night Sam, sweet dreams_.' There was no response, and when he looked down at her she was fast asleep, a little smile on her face. He sighed deeply, and closed his eyes, stroking Sam's back with the backs of his fingers moving in circles. With the warmth of her body pressed close to him, his hand moved slower and slower until he was fast asleep, holding her tight and a smile on his face the match the one on hers.


	23. Beneath Starry Skies

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: Translation for the languages in this chapter:  
_- Aen h'mat esi d'hk bahay, aen bor mest m yea elea esi es af_ ~ I love you so deeply I cannot imagine my life without you in it  
_- M lb'at ki chy ayt sas giata. Aen tesba k'ul kmat esi_ ~ My heart and soul are yours forever. I will always love you  
-_ Tu et si beau_ ~ You are so beautiful (French)  
-_ M alat esi ayt d'hk orai_ ~ My god you are so beautiful  
-_ B'hd ita en oash b'i _~ This was a perfect night  
-_ Aen hmat esi_ ~ I love you  
-_ Je t'aime aussi_ ~ I love you too (French)  
-_ Mio amore_ ~ My love (Italian)  
-_ Mou psychi_ ~ My soul (Greek)  
-_ N ltynw_ ~ My heart (Ancient Egyptian)

A/N #2: There is a love scene in this chapter. Just a warning, though this story is rated M for a reason!

A/N #3: Thanks so much for the reviews HAZMOT (Again, great to see you taking the time to review! And I loved readhing your reaction to the last chapter. Lol, yeah, I am the romantic type- just in my writing though, it's something that I like to write as I can make it develop as I want it to. Your bit about feeling like you were peeking into their daily lives is exactly how I wanted that last chapter to read, so yay that you got that! I was also really happy to see your reaction to Daniel sending Sam his emotions for her in the shower, it was again what I was looking for :D I definitely had to put in the movie night with Jack and Teal'c, since I wanted to include them again, and also gave me the chance to have Jack showing again that he approves of their relationship in his own unique way, which you mentioned in your review. And I wanted to include Jacob, and it just makes sense that Daniel would really want his approval, which again you caught on to :D Thanks so much again, it's just so much fun to read your reviews! I can't wait to see what you think of this one!!), GimmeABeat(Hey there! It's great to know you're still reading this! I miss MST3K on TV too, I just have the DVD releases, but not all of them, to get my fix, lol. It really was great, and The Starfighters was just too appropriate to not mention, lol. I'm really glad you're liking all the Sam/Daniel stuff that's been going on. Thanks and I hope you'll continue to read!) and CouldItBeMagic (Here's your update, I hope you'll enjoy it!). I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #4: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Twenty-Three  
Beneath Starry Skies

Daniel looked down at his tie, and frowning tried to adjust it before tying it into a knot. He checked to make sure it was straight before he pulled on his suit jacket and buttoned it, trying to ignore his rising anxiety as it got closer to six.

It was the fifth day since SG-1 had begun their stand-down, and the night of his and Sam's date. Daniel was nervous, as it was their first date on Earth and he wanted it to be as memorable as their one on Philae.

Checking his mind over the list of things he'd made to do. Everything was set except for some last minute things that he'd do before driving over to Sam's to pick her up. He hurried out of his room and to the kitchen, taking something out of the fridge and going to his car to put it away. He checked his watch, and saw that he needed to leave to make it to Sam's by six. Taking a deep breath, he locked his front door and hurried to his car. As he pulled out onto the street he opened their link, managing to keep their empathic one closed, and said, '_Sam? I'm coming over now_.'

* * *

Sam had spent most of her afternoon getting ready for the date, in a state of nervous anticipation. She had opted to take a long bath instead of a shower first. It was in the hopes that it would relax her, but it worked only marginally. After she'd gotten out she'd done her hair, put on some lotion and finally got into her dress.

Looking at herself in the mirror after the zipper was pulled up, she nodded slightly, hoping that Daniel would like what she had picked out. The color of her dress was a shade of blue that was very close to the hue of his eyes when they darkened in excitement. She shivered, trying not to remember the morning before when they had made love before she had gone home; his eyes had been that exact same shade; and she hurried back to the bathroom to put on makeup to distract herself.

Picking up her necklace from the dresser where she had set it for her bath, Sam draped it around her neck and let it fall once it was clasped. There was an instant sensation of warmth as the sapphire-like gem rested against the hollow of her throat. She touched it for a moment and then quickly put on a pair of simple diamond stud earrings and a delicate silver bracelet that had six diamonds on it; an item that had belonged to her mother. As she put on her shoes last she heard Daniel in her mind, and her heart nearly jumped out of her throat as she ran to the dresser mirror for a final look at herself.

Satisfied with her appearance and hoping that Daniel would think she looked good; Sam turned and heard a knock at the door. Feeling a stab of anxiety, she grabbed her purse off the bed and walked out to the front door.

Waiting outside, Daniel heard the sound of her approaching from inside. Tensing up slightly, he held his breath without even realizing it as the door unlocked and then opened. "Sam…" he breathed when he saw her, his greeting dying before it even reached his lips.

Blushing slightly, Sam watched as Daniel's eyes wandered down her body, and the way they slightly darkened as he glanced back up to her eyes. "Come in," she said softly as he seemed to shake himself. She stepped aside and closed the door after he'd walked inside, her own heart beating furiously at how handsome he looked. He was wearing a dark charcoal colored suit, and a soft bluish-grey tie that looked like it matched her eyes.

Daniel found that he couldn't stop staring at Sam. Her dress, in a blue color that he found made her look amazingly beautiful, had thin straps and it ended at her knees in an uneven hem. The neckline dipped slightly at the tops of her breasts, and his gaze would stray there every so often. He saw that she was still wearing the necklace from Philae and he smiled saying, "You look amazing Sam."

Smiling a little shyly, Sam replied, "You look great yourself. I… really love that suit on you."

Ducking his head slightly, Daniel felt his cheeks heat up at the tone of her voice. He then remembered what he had behind his back and said, "I brought these for you."

"Oh Daniel," Sam said in surprise as he held out a bouquet of white roses and dark blue flowers. "They're so beautiful," she commented as she took them and brought them up to her nose. The perfume coming from the blooms was delicate and she smiled brightly at him before saying, "Let me get these into a vase and then we can go."

"The blue flowers are delphinium," Daniel commented as he stood in the doorway of the kitchen, watching Sam take a glass vase from a cabinet. The zipper on her dress flashed slightly in the light, and he swallowed hard, getting the sudden urge to stride across the room and pull it down, pressing his body against hers before they left for the bedroom. Sam turned around to him then, and he quickly pushed his desire away as she set the flowers into the water in the vase.

"Thank you so much for these," Sam said once she was satisfied the flowers were neatly arranged. She turned to Daniel and asked, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Daniel replied, shaking himself. He'd been struggling to keep their empathic link closed, and as he and Sam walked to the front door he imagined a door in his mind, closing and locking firmly. That method worked and he was able to open the door for Sam, then realizing that he had to work on his self control as she passed him and her scent surrounded him. Swallowing hard again, he opened the door to his car for her and ran around to the other side once she was set.

"So you wouldn't really tell me where it is we're going," Sam said as Daniel pulled away from her house. "Is it a surprise?" When he answered, she let her eyes wander over him. The suit fit him incredibly well, she could see his physique under it, and she crossed her legs tightly together then, as she had suddenly recalled the feeling of his arms around her. She was so deep in thought that she didn't even realize that Daniel was calling her name until she heard, '_Sam? You alright?_' in her mind. Jumping a little she said, "I'm sorry, I was just… thinking about something. What were you saying?"

"I was able to get us reservations at a new Mediterranean restaurant that opened a few months ago," Daniel said. "I hope you don't mind."

"Oh no, that sounds great," Sam said quickly.

When they reached the parking lot of the restaurant, called Taverna, Daniel hurried around to open the door for Sam. She blushed lightly at his attention and kissed him gently on the cheek as she stood. The two then went inside, smiles on their faces as they held hands tightly.

The host took them to a seating area outside, designed to look like a Greek garden, complete with a tiny waterfall and stream that ran around the outside of it. The two were given menus once they were seated at the table, and after their waiter had taken their drink order they were left alone to look at the entrees.

"Everything looks great," Sam said, looking over the menu. "It's been a while since I've had food like this." She glanced at Daniel and looked back down, a little embarrassed at how lame what that had sounded.

"You're right," Daniel said, seeing her discomfort and wanting to quickly assure her. "I was thinking of maybe getting their Greek kabob platter. And I probably won't be able to finish them all, so I can give you a couple."

Smiling, Sam nodded, and as the waiter came to take their orders she felt better. Her nervousness soon dissipated and as they were left alone again Daniel reached over to place his hand on hers. "Have you ever been to Greece before?" she asked him.

"Once," Daniel said. "It was when I was still in college, a sophomore. I had requested to go on a dig in Turkey with my archeology professor, but he thought it would be safer for me at my age to go to Greece instead."

"Where did you go there?" Sam asked interestedly.

"Delos, it's an island that was abandoned when the Romans conquered them. I think I told you about it? And isn't one of the cities on… over there named that?" he asked, being careful not to name Philae. When Sam nodded he continued saying, "Well, there was a discovery of a building that turned out to be slave quarters for the palace there. I helped uncover the items that were inside. Mostly jars and vases, but there was also evidence of children as the team I was with discovered remains of toys."

"Did you feel disappointed through the trip?" Sam asked. "Not getting to go to Turkey?"

"A little, but I really did enjoy Greece in the end, and it gave me the chance to brush up on my Greek while I was there," Daniel replied. "And it was really beautiful where we were." He realized something and quickly said mentally, '_Now that I think about it, the island on Philae reminded me a lot of the Greek islands_.'

'_You're right_,' Sam said. '_I've seen a lot of pictures of it, the island on Philae looks almost exactly like the Mediterranean._'

'_It was beautiful there_,' Daniel said, gazing at Sam. '_I wish we could go back sometime_.'

'_Maybe when we go for Monifa's marriage_,' Sam said, her body turning warm under his gaze.

The waiter returned then with their food and the conversation stopped as they soon began to eat. After a few minutes though, Sam spoke first after she had taken a sip of wine.

"Have you been on any other digs in Europe?" Sam asked. "I've always wondered where else you've been besides Egypt and South America."

"A number of places besides those," Daniel said with a smile. "But if I told you about them I'd be talking all night. And I really don't want to take over the conversation."

"I wouldn't mind it at all," Sam said.

"I know, but I would," Daniel said. "Tell me what it was like for you growing up. Did you move around more than once a year because of the Air Force?"

Sam, smiling, then took Daniel through her childhood as the daughter of a member of the Air Force. She had moved a lot because of her father, but it had never bothered her. Her only problem had been having to make new friends at each school she went to. As she spoke, she noticed that Daniel was listening to her attentively, and she was pleased, reminding herself again that she was very lucky.

The two then began to talk about their experiences after high school, once Sam had reached that point in her story. They found that when they had worked to earn their degrees they had both been called unflattering names behind their backs. Daniel, who had been hurt when he had heard a classmate first refer to him as a geek, had a sudden realization that wherever that person was now, they probably weren't doing as well as he was. And Sam too had come to the same insight. Those girls in high school and in college who had insulted and teased her weren't able to do what she was. They had never seen Earth from an alien ship, or had walked through the Stargate to another world on the other side of the galaxy. And had definitely never found out that she was the reincarnation of a Princess either. The two smiled at each other then, Daniel's hand sliding over to hers once again.

Sam was about to speak as their fingers entwined but the sound of soft music interrupted her. Looking over at a space of the outdoor seating area, she saw a couple dancing together in front of a group of three musicians. Smiling, she glanced back at Daniel and was about to ask him what he was planning on doing next since they had finished the meal. He interrupted her before she could speak, standing up and walking around to her.

"Dance with me Sam?" Daniel asked gently. As he spoke, his hand stretched out to her, he tried sending her his desire for her to say yes. He had no idea if it worked, but it mattered little as she beamed at him and took his hand, standing. He led her over to the dance floor where there were three couples. He found them a spot more on the edge of the area, away from the tables and the others, and he turned to Sam his heart beating a little faster, he wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands resting on the small of her back. She pressed close to him as her arms snaked about his neck. He pressed his cheek against hers as they started to sway together, and he closed his eyes; the moment one of bliss.

Sam shivered inwardly as she felt Daniel's breath softly tickling her skin. It was a sensation that never failed to excite her when he unconsciously did it. Though because of where they were she had to suppress her building emotions. To distract herself she laid her head on his shoulder, feeling his hands grip her tightly for a moment and she glanced up at him to see that his eyes were closed, '_Are you okay?_' she asked, raising her head.

'_Are you?_' Daniel replied gently, smiling slightly. When she nodded once, but looked a little concerned he quickly said, '_This moment… it's nothing short of perfect. I really can't believe I'm here with you Sam. After I realized that I loved you I never thought it would happen; that you would feel the same about me. It just seems like a dream when I really think about it. And if it is I do __**not**__ want to wake up and find I don't have you…_'

A little startled by the ferocity in his voice, Sam quickly nodded, knowing exactly what he felt. She tilted her head back slightly, and kissed him, being as gentle as she could as he responded. A moment later she pulled back, seeing the slightly dazed look in his eyes as they opened. '_That felt real to me_,' she said, smiling slightly.

Daniel bent his head slightly and kissed her again, softly and quickly since they weren't alone. As Sam pressed her forehead against his cheek he started to gently stroke her back. He was very reassured that he wasn't in the middle of a dream and he sighed deeply in contentment, feeling Sam smile before she pressed a kiss to his jaw. The outside world seemed to disappear and there was nothing to worry about. There was only the feeling of Sam in his arms and the knowledge that she felt the same about him as he did for her. Almost suddenly, the song that had been playing ended, and he stopped moving as did Sam. "Come on," he said with a smile. "I can tell you're ready to go."

Smiling as they walked back to their table, since he had guessed correctly, Sam asked, "Do you want to try and catch a movie? It's still kind of early."

"You're right," Daniel said, smiling back as he gave her her purse. "But I've got a better idea."

* * *

A half hour later Sam was sitting on the top of a picnic table near her home. She was waiting for Daniel to return from his car, curious as to why he'd brought her there.

When they had reached the park, Daniel had gotten a plaid blanket and led her over to a picnic table in the center as it was the darkest place. He'd spread the blanket on the tabletop, and left her with an electric lantern before going back to his car.

"You're not cold Sam?" Daniel asked as he approached her, carrying a long black case in one hand and a flashlight in the other.

"No, I'm just really curious," Sam said as he climbed up next to her. "We're in the middle of a park in the dark. I'm wondering what exactly you have in mind."

Daniel didn't answer, simply opened the case that he had placed on his lap. He smiled as Sam's eyes went wide in surprise at the telescope inside and said, "I thought this was perfect for you when I saw it." He had a sudden sense of doubt and lowered his head saying, "It's not really much of a gift, you probably already-"

Sam leaned over and kissed him, not wanting him to doubt his choice of a gift. When she pulled back said with a smile, "It's perfect. I have a telescope, but it's not this nice. Oh Daniel, you didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to get you a little something since this is our first date… on Earth," Daniel said as he hopped off the table and began to set up the telescope in front of her.

"Thank you so much then," Sam said with a smile. She watched as the telescope was slowly put together and she reached over to him as he looked at the eyepieces that had come with it. "Let me," she said.

Standing up straight, Daniel looked on as Sam put in an eyepiece in and then tilted the instrument up to the sky. Looking though it, she adjusted the focus and then glanced up at him. "How is it?" he asked, jumping a little when she'd glanced at him as he'd been taking the opportunity to study her; though it had soon become ogling her without his realizing it as his excitement rose.

"This is great, top of the line," Sam said excitedly. "Take a look; I focused on one of the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades."

Peering through the eyepiece, Daniel saw the brilliant star that Sam had focused in on, and nodded saying, "It's beautiful."

"It would be really interesting to get to do this off-world," Sam said as she sat on the top of the table. "I haven't really gotten to just star-gaze and see what there is. It's usually just reports."

Daniel nodded and said, "I know what you mean."

"You want more time to explore ruins," Sam said simply as she turned the telescope slightly to the right. She glanced up and saw that Daniel was nodding slightly. "Okay, the moon is only half full, but you can see a lot of the craters and where Apollo 11 landed… well not the exact place but the area it was in."

Smiling, Daniel watched her gazing through the telescope and he felt a deep sense of admiration for her. He'd seen her many times on the base, in awe and fully wrapped up in working on a new device, but it was times like this when he loved watching her so excited and eager. He idly wondered if that was how he appeared when translating off world. His thought was interrupted when Sam asked him a question.

"Have you ever spent much time with a telescope?" Sam asked.

"Probably only a fraction of the time that you have," Daniel replied. "Why don't you point out some things to me?"

"Sure," Sam said, smiling brightly. She looked up at the sky for a moment and then hurriedly adjusted the telescope. "Here's the North Star, a good place to start."

Time slipped away from the two scientists as they looked over the night sky. Sam pointed out various starts and what type they were, as well as their distance from Earth. When she then pointed out constellations, Daniel revealed the myths behind the ones named after gods and goddesses. They were so involved that an hour went by without them noticing.

"It's amazing how much mythology plays into astronomy," Sam said after she had stopped talking and Daniel had pulled away from the telescope. She felt like someone was watching her and she looked at him. "What-" she started to say, being cut off almost immediately by his mouth crushing hers.

Daniel wrapped his arms tightly around Sam, letting one hand wander up to her head. He gently cupped the back of it as he deepened the kiss quickly. He felt excited and he eagerly explored Sam's mouth once he had slipped his tongue inside it. He groaned heavily as he tasted her, and he slid his hand back down her body.

Sam knew that it was lucky they were sitting on the table. If they had been standing she would have collapsed, her knees growing weak quickly. Her head spun as she realized yet against that Daniel Jackson was an incredible kisser. She was so lost in what she was feeling that she literally jumped when she heard him in her mind saying, '_You know you're not too bad at this either_.' She pulled back with a short gasp as she realized she had voiced her thoughts somehow to him and started to blush intensely at the small smile on his face. "I-I…" she tried to say.

"You really think I'm that good?" Daniel asked surprised still by what he'd heard. When her answer was to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him hard, he quickly responded by holding her to him. He was groaning again as their tongues tangled together inside her mouth, his body quickly reacting to her. He soon was reminded that he hadn't been lying about how she was when they kissed. Her lips were soft and warm under his, and he could have spent hours there, feeling them, tasting them, but he knew that it was getting late, and they were in the dark except for the light from the moon. "It's a little late," he said once they parted to breathe. "We should go."

Though she didn't want to stop, Sam knew that he was right, so she took his hand and climbed down off the table. She found, as Daniel drove towards her house a few minutes later, that she didn't really want to say goodnight, and she quickly got an idea as he pulled in front of her home. "Would you like some coffee?" she asked quickly when Daniel turned to her.

Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Daniel said, "Sure, I'd love to." He followed Sam up to her front door and into the house. He had a feeling as to why she had asked him in, and he could understand as on the ride over he'd been tempted to drive as slowly as he could. He didn't want the night to end; it had been so perfect. But as he sat on her couch after she declined his help with the coffee a few minutes later, he knew that it probably wouldn't and he swallowed a little harder than normal as he stood up.

When she walked into the room, Sam wondered what Daniel was thinking about as he stared out one of the windows. "Daniel?" she said gently to get his attention. When he turned to her she smiled slightly and handed him one of the mugs in her hands. "Is anything wrong?" she asked as he looked down at the coffee but didn't take a sip.

Looking up at her, Daniel reached to her and took her hand. He walked over to the couch and sat down with her on it, setting his mug on the coffee table in front of it. Staring at her, he took her hands into his, and leaned down, kissing the tops of them, pressing a kiss to each palm after. "_Aen h'mat esi d'hk bahay, aen bor mest m yea elea esi es af_," he said, speaking in Philaen.

The slight concern on Sam's face melted away and she cupped Daniel's face in her hands saying, "_M lb'at ki chy ayt sas giata. Aen tesba k'ul kmat esi_." She flushed a little at the ferocity of her words, but meant every single one of them as an almost beaming smile appeared on his face. It literally took her breath away and her body trembled as his hands slid over her waist to the small of her back.

Leaning over slightly, Daniel brushed his lips over Sam's pulling back to look into her eyes. Seeing the way her pools of blue-grey shone at him, he leaned down again, and kissed her. He kept it gentle and ran his hands up and down her back while he tilted his head to the side.

Sam felt a moan bubble up from her throat. It escaped when Daniel's tongue slowly slid over her lips and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. After a few minutes she had to breathe and she slowly pulled away seeing he looked dazed again. "Do I really-" she started to say, surprised that he reacted that way so much with her.

Daniel couldn't take it watching her slightly red lips as she spoke and he took them with his own. As they kissed again, he slowly sucked her lower lip into his mouth, and proceeded to nibble on it gently. He groaned as Sam jerked lightly against him in surprise, and he slid his hands all around her back as he let go of her lip. Before he could slip his tongue into her warm mouth again, he was taken aback when she suddenly sucked on his lower lip.

Moaning again, Sam released Daniel's lip after a while and let him slip his tongue in her mouth. She felt his hands suddenly move down to her derriere and she cried out as he lightly squeezed. She pulled away from his lips and pressed her cheek to his, panting roughly.

"I…" Daniel began as he caught his breath. He leaned down slightly after trailing off and pressed his lips to her neck, following her as she leaned her head back against the couch. He went down to the junction of her shoulder and neck, kissing the skin there before he lightly sucked at it.

"Daniel," Sam breathed, her eyes rolling to the back of her head in pleasure. She threaded her fingers through his hair, and held him tightly to her, not wanting him to stop.

As he was busy sucking and nibbling, Daniel's hands were lightly holding on to her hips. When he felt her start to stroke his hair he shuddered and reached down, placing his hand on her knee. He soon forgot it as Sam pulled him back to her lips, and his hand drifted up under her skirt. Their passionate kiss was suddenly interrupted when she pulled away with a short cry. "Oh god, Sam, I'm sorry," he said, withdrawing his hand from where it was lightly squeezing her inner thigh. "I-I didn't mean-" he said as she stared into his eyes. He was surprised when she pulled him to her lips again, and they kissed frantically as their hands roamed over each others bodies.

It was a long time later before the two pulled apart and stayed apart. They were panting and slightly disheveled, their foreheads pressed together.

"It's… it's getting late," Daniel began reluctantly.

"You don't have to leave," Sam said quickly before she pressed her lips to his lightly. "I really don't want you to."

"Neither do I," Daniel said, his heart beating faster as she carefully undid the knot on his tie. He watched it slide to the floor from her fingers before he stood up and brought Sam with him. He picked her up in his arms and then carried her over to her bedroom. Inside he laid her down on top of the bed, sitting at her side as he took off his jacket and tossed it aside.

Sam sat up then and quickly unbuttoned Daniel's shirt, smiling and giggling a little when he playfully nipped at her neck. She watched him as he pulled off the shirt when she had finished, amazed at how he was with her. Sometimes playful, tender a lot of the time, but also a little rough when they both wanted it. She hadn't really thought that much, before their first time together, what kind of lover he was. But if she had really done so she would have imagined he would be a more careful one most of the time. She was glad to be proven wrong in this case, watching as he slowly removed her high heels, a thrill of excitement going through her body as she thought of what else she might learn about how he was in her bed.

Going back to where Sam was sitting up, Daniel kissed her as he wrapped his arms around her. He quickly sought the zipper on the back of her dress, and after a moment's pause, pulled it down. He leaned back after he'd stroked her bare back, and pulled the blue silk up off her body. "_Tu et si beau_," he whispered as he laid her on her back, speaking in French without thinking.

Shivering at the husky tone of Daniel's voice, Sam had never heard a man say something to her as arousing as he had. "You…" she started to say, wanting him to speak more to her in that tone and in all the languages that he knew. But she felt a little embarrassed at her desire, and she opened his trousers to distract herself.

Daniel gently grabbed Sam's hands as she attempted to pull off his pants. He carefully removed her panties as she lowered her arms to the bed, and as he started at her naked body he placed his hand on her thigh.

Biting her lower lip as she inwardly trembled at his touch, Sam realized that she was breathing a little heavier than normal and her body was aching to be with him. She reached down to his trousers again and pulled them down. She felt her excitement rising further as Daniel helped her, and the last of his clothing soon hit the floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck then, and pulled him down on top of her.

Cradled between Sam's thighs, Daniel started kissing her, trying to start out slowly and then build up intensity. But at the first taste of her lips and her tongue running over his lower lip, he plunged his tongue into her mouth. As he was busy fighting with her tongue he slid his hand over her right leg, going back to her calf. Before he could even move she was wrapping it around his waist, just above it, and he couldn't stop himself, slowly sliding into her body. '_God… Sam, I, you feel so good_,' he groaned to her as he opened their link completely. His head started to spin after he felt the joy and desire come to him from her, and he pulled away to try and get used to the sensation and how strong it was.

Her body filled with the sensation of Daniel's need and his pleasure, Sam tried to distract herself by reaching up and carefully removing his glasses. She was a little surprised to see her hands were shaking, and when he took them from her to put on her nightstand his hands were too. When he turned his head to her she laid her other leg over his thigh, trying to tell him to start moving.

Taking the hint, Daniel began to thrust, slowly, as he lowered his head to hers, taking her lips quickly. He felt Sam's joy with each movement of his hips, and he had to move faster, wanting to give her more. They both groaned out in pleasure as they heard their skin slightly hitting, and he said firmly, '_I love you Sam, I love you so much_.'

'_Don't stop_,' Sam moaned in response. '_I want to feel you…_' She pulled away from him when he thrust into her a little harder then, and cried out at the burst of pleasure in her body. She had her hands on the back of Daniel's head, and she moved him down to her breasts; though he was already moving there.

Capturing her right nipple between his lips, Daniel suckled almost hungrily at her. He heard her cries and moans, but distantly as his blood was rushing through his ears. He switched to her other breast after he found he needed to breathe, and he suddenly felt his body turning, rolling over onto his back.

Very quickly, though the abrupt move had been a sudden decision on her part, Sam took over, moving her body up and down on him. She tilted her head back as her ecstasy increased, and it was added to by the erotic sound of Daniel groaning her name and panting under her. Somehow she forced her eyes open and reached down to him. Taking one of his hands, she brought it up to her mouth and kissed the palm and each fingertip before she placed it at the apex of her legs.

Blinking and finally keeping his eyes open, Daniel froze for a moment, when he realized what he was touching, before he started to rub the seat of nerves in a circular motion. His eyes on Sam, he knew when he was giving her the utmost pleasure as her body would jerk a little and she would let out a moan that made him grit his teeth together as hard as he could. '_M alat esi ayt d'hk orai_,' he growled to her mentally, trying hard to withstand the emotions and physical pleasure she was building up in his body.

Gasping heavily, Sam found herself on her back again a moment later and she immediately wrapped her arms and her legs tight about him once more. She took his hungry kiss, and ran her hands over his hair, moaning as he moved a little faster. She worked to tangle her tongue around his, loving the way he tasted in her mouth.

Trailing down to Sam's neck after they had kissed for a long while, Daniel groaned as he felt her start to move with him. His body was slick with sweat, his heart was pounding furiously and he wasn't sure if he'd last for that much longer. He wasn't sure either if Sam was close or not, so he slowly came to a stop, breathing hard from his exertions.

"W-What are you doing?" Sam asked in surprise as he raised his head.

"Just, just wait a second," Daniel said. He bowed his head so it was touching the hollow of her throat, and he took a minute before he slowly started to move again. He was a little surprised when Sam threw her head back and let out a hard cry. Closing his eyes as her pleasure passed through him through their link, he buried his face against her neck. Feeling her moist skin against his, he flicked his tongue out and hissed lightly as Sam's nails raked over his back. Shuddering, he came to a stop again, getting an idea.

Sam was panting, sweating and trembling as Daniel kept on thrusting and stopping every several minutes. Her body was aching some for some kind of release, and she begged him mentally. '_Daniel, I can't… can't take it!_'

Pressing a kiss to her collarbone, Daniel was feeling the same himself. He began to move again, by then they'd been together for more than twenty minutes though he had no way of knowing for sure, and he had stopped thrusting gently. Sam's fingers raking over his scalp and down his back spurred him to move faster, his breath puffing against her hair that was sticking to her neck.

"Daniel…" Sam moaned loudly, moving with him. Her body felt a little weak, but she ignored it, and worked harder as she knew that he was ready to let them both go. She gasped when he kissed her, but it was quick as they needed to catch their breath sooner than normal. She felt his lips then go down her neck and to her chest again. She was writhing as Daniel suckled at her breasts, and she felt her body tense up. "Oh… D-_Daniel!_" she nearly screamed as she finally felt herself literally exploding as she clutched tightly to him.

"Sam, god… _Sam_!" Daniel yelled, throwing his head back. He felt her elation as it came him through their still open link, and it added to his own as he shook and jerked against her writhing form.

The two were in their own world as they felt the ecstasy they were giving each other. Their bodies were moving automatically, and in the midst of their climaxes they completely froze before they came together a second time, shocked by the intensity of it. They kept moving on top of the bed, trying to withstand the force of their pleasure as they kissed and ran their hands over one another until finally, slowly, they came down from their euphoria having skirted the edge of their consciousness, returning before passing out completely.

For a long time the room was full of the sound of panting, and Daniel found that he had little strength to move though he was laying on top of Sam. He closed his eyes, amazed at how strong their lovemaking had been, and he somehow was able to raise his head. Since he was still breathing roughly, he asked mentally, '_Are you okay?_'

'_Definitely… Holy Hannah that was… __**incredible**_,' Sam replied. She smiled when Daniel flushed and bowed his head, his breath against her moist skin making her shiver.

Carefully, feeling a lot stronger, Daniel got up on his hands and knees above her slightly to take the weight off her body. '_B'hd ita en oash b'i_,' he said, staring intently into her eyes.

Overwhelmed with a sense of love and satiety that she had never experienced so strongly before, Sam felt the urge to feel him holding her close, but she didn't really want to ask him. But as she was thinking that, she felt Daniel moving off her slowly and watched him lie down next to her, holding his arm out to her. A sense of peace and safety washed over her as she pressed close to him. Even though she thought of herself as independent it was a nice feeling and she sighed in pleasure. "_Aen hmat esi_," she said then, looking up into his eyes.

"_Je t'aime aussi_," Daniel replied, using French again. He noticed that Sam flushed deeply and he looked at her in slight concern as he felt her joy in his words flood through his body. "What is it?" he asked, wondering what was wrong. She shook her head and he frowned, reaching over to her nightstand. He turned on the lamp that was there, and put on his glasses so he could see her better. "Is it me speaking other languages?" he asked simply as Sam sat up when he'd lain down. He watched her grab her bed sheet that had been pushed to the end of the bed, but didn't answer his question. He had noticed her slight pause, and the fact that she had closed her end of their link firmly. Reaching up, he pulled her down on the bed next to him and kissed her ardently.

Sam felt guilty as that kiss went on, and she slowly pulled away from him as he stroked her hair. "I… I have a little problem with that. But, it's not really a negative one," she confessed, looking down at his chest. She felt his fingers under her chin, pushing up so she looked into his eyes which were gazing at her lovingly. She bit her lower lip, not wanting to hide something so foolish from him but not wanting to really say out loud what the problem was. So instead she closed her eyes and sent her emotions through their link of what she felt whenever he spoken other languages.

His eyes wide as he felt Sam's excitement and arousal, both sharp and concentrated, Daniel watched as her cheeks then turned an interesting shade of red. "It's that exciting to you?" he asked gently.

"It's probably because of the tone of voice you used tonight," Sam said, speaking quickly in her embarrassment.

"Do you want me to do it again?" Daniel asked, smiling slightly.

"Yes," Sam whispered, biting her lower lip at the obvious exhilaration that had appeared in his eyes. She didn't realize it, but her voice had taken on a slightly huskier tone.

"_Mio amore_," Daniel quickly said in Italian. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips with those words and felt her shiver in anticipation as a thrill went through his body through their open link. Carefully, he lay on top of her, not really thinking about the fact that barely a half hour had passed since they had made love. Instead he was focusing all of his attention on Sam as he whispered, "_Mou psychi_," and kissed her neck gently. He then moved to her heart and before he kissed it as well murmured, "_N ltynw_."

Touched deeply; as Daniel had mentally translated for her what he had been saying, Sam hugged him tightly to her, kissing him passionately. When he soon responded she made him roll over onto his back, since she had been more than a little turned on at the way he'd spoken as well, and she shifted slightly as she sat up, her body sliding down on him until they were fully coupled.

They made love again, Daniel sitting up before Sam could move, kissing and exploring each other with their hands, gently caressing and fondling. Pleasure rose by the second, their connection serving to add to it. When they finally reached the edge together some time later, they were shaking and breathing heavily as they fell, feeling boneless, to the bed when they finally stopped.

After they had regained their strength somewhat, Daniel was laying on his back with Sam's body pressed close against his side. They were quiet then, but he soon looked down at her, her sapphire catching his attention. Smiling, he took it into his fingers and studied its facet in the light of the moon. "This is really beautiful," he said softly, looking up into her eyes.

"I know, and it means a lot to me because you did give it to me," Sam said with a smile. It grew wider as Daniel gave a short laugh at that, and she was struck by how great it was to see him so happy. And as she studied his face, she could tell that he even looked younger. She lightly kissed his jaw, and pressed her hand on top of his heart, '_I'm going to hate to go back to the mountain in a few days_,' she commented, not wanting to speak out loud and ruin the comfortable silence which had descended over them.

'_Really?_' Daniel asked, looking at her. He was a little startled when she reached up to his face then, but when she removed his glasses he realized that he'd left them on as they'd made love a second time. He took them from her and set them on the nightstand once more.

'_I'm really enjoying this little vacation_,' Sam said once Daniel was looking at her again. '_I've gotten to know you a lot better than I do already… I really love being with you Daniel_,' she said seriously, looking deep into his eyes.

'_I know what you mean_,' Daniel said, his tone of voice serious as well. '_Sam_,' he said, thinking about returning to work as she had mentioned. '_What are we going to do about the nights we're not off-world? I don't think I want to really spend them alone. I'm too used to holding you like this_.'

Sam nodded, knowing what he meant, and she replied, '_I guess we'll need to see how things work_.' She sighed as she felt a sense of lassitude in her limbs, the exhaustion of making love twice catching up to her. She felt Daniel's lips on the top of her head and she glanced up at him.

'_We should rest_,' he said, exhausted himself. As she shifted slightly against him Daniel felt a small pang of arousal, very small, and he said, '_I may wake you up later_,' before he thought about it.

'_That would be nice_,' Sam replied as Daniel looked a little abashed. She kissed him firmly on the lips, and pulling back to look in his eyes she knew that he would act on his words, and a thrill coursed up and down her spine at the prospect though she was weary. '_Good night Daniel_,' she sighed, comfortable and warm in his arms as she began to drowse. '_I love you_.'

'_Night Sam, I love you too_,' Daniel replied tenderly, enjoying the warmth of her body. He watched her fall asleep until he nodded off with her, and was soon in a deep, peaceful sleep, contentment with Sam influencing his dreams.


	24. Reve

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: Translation for the languages in this chapter:  
_- Aen latre esi_ ~ I adore you  
-_ Aen k'ul tesba_ ~ I always will

A/N #2: The chapter title means 'dream' in French.

A/N #3: There's just a description of a love scene in this chapter, I wanted to warn you readers just in case.

A/N #4: I just wanted to say quickly: hope all my American readers had a great Thanksgiving yesterday!

A/N #5: Thanks so much for the review HAZMOT (Again, for being my only reviewer of a chapter, I'm so happy that you're sticking with this, I really am! First off, I'm really surprised at the first line of your review, that you were speechless, I didn't really think the chapter was that good! But I'm really glad that you liked it that much :D And yeah, I wanted to portray Sam and Daniel as kinda 'testing the waters' with this relationship, glad you caught up on it. And that's where their link comes in handy, not only when they're intimate, as you pointed out, but also in their normal lives outside of the bedroom, lol. Since Daniel is a linguist, I kinda thought that maybe it might make sense for his knowledge to be used as a turn on for Sam, so yay that you caught that as well, though I expected it, hehe. So I'm really pleased that you're really enjoying this, and I hope that you'll continue to :D Hope you like this chapter, can't wait to get your feedback on it! Thanks once more, you are an awesome reviewer!) I greatly, greatly appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think.

A/N #6: Please keep reviewing so I know if anyone's interested enough for me to continue posting this up! It's all written out, I'm just waiting for some lovely reviews for the readers out there!

Chapter Twenty-Four  
Rêve

Inside the Control Room, Sam watched the wormhole of the Stargate, waiting for her father to emerge. She felt her anxiety return, but quickly pushed it away as she sensed Daniel sending her reassurances through their link. She smiled inwardly at that, and then saw her father step out onto the ramp. "Permission-" she started to say to General Hammond who was standing next to her.

"Permission granted Major," Hammond said, smiling.

"Thank you sir," Sam said quickly before she left the room. As the door to the gate room slid open she called out, "Dad!" happily.

Smiling, Jacob Carter hugged his daughter tightly, hiding his surprise at her appearance. As she had walked over to him, looked years younger, her face was almost glowing with her bright smile. '_I wonder what's happened_,' he said to Selmak.

'_I think you are very much aware of the reason for your daughter's joy_,' the Tok'ra replied. '_As am I_.'

'_Let's just hope whoever he is is good enough for her_,' Jacob said, more to himself though. "Sammie, how are you?" he asked as he let her go.

"I'm good Dad," Sam said as they left the room to go up to Hammond's office. "What about you?"

"I'm fine, busy of course, but I'm sure you've been the same," Jacob replied.

"Jacob, good to see you," Hammond said as the two Carters entered his office. He shook Jacob's hand and asked, "How are things with the Tok'ra?"

"The same," Jacob said simply so Hammond would know he wasn't there for a specific purpose. "Things have been quiet… compared to other times of course. There is a rumor of Anubis amassing a new army, but at the moment it only appears to be a rumor."

"The Tok'ra will keep their eye on that though?" the General asked. When Jacob nodded he inclined his head and said, "I hope you'll enjoy your stay Jacob, however long you managed to get away for."

"Just for the day," Jacob said, looking apologetically at Sam. He nodded to Hammond, and he and his daughter left, walking to the elevator. "Are you on stand-down?" he asked once they were inside.

Sam nodded, she was wearing civvies as she had only come on base to see her father, and before that had stopped by her lab to work until his arrival. "We're off for a week," she replied. When her father looked at her questioningly she said, "Because of our last mission Dad. I guess I should tell you about what happened, but Daniel needs to be there too." And she pressed the button to the floor Daniel's office was on to her father's surprise.

* * *

Daniel was in his office, studying an artifact that one of the other SG teams had brought back from a mission. As he jotted down something on a tablet of paper he felt Sam opening their link before she spoke. He jumped up then, carefully setting the artifact on his desk before Sam and her father stepped inside. "Hello Jacob," he said with a nod, feeling his nervousness come back full force.

"Daniel, how are you?" Jacob asked as they shook hands quickly. When the young man simply nodded in response he looked at Sam and asked, "So what happened on your mission?"

"You might want to sit Dad," Sam said, sharing a look with Daniel. "It'll take some time."

Once Jacob was seated in one of the chairs in front of Daniel's desk, he and Sam proceeded to tell him what had happened on Philae from start to finish. Their arrival on the planet, the sand storm and Sam's kidnapping, the Warrior Princess and the Historian. The sapphire, Daniel and Sam's confrontation with The Ruler and the way they had killed him. They told him everything except for their connection and their relationship that had come about while they were on the planet.

Jacob was quiet for a long time after the two had finished, trying to take the story in. Even Selmak was silent, which he was grateful for as it let him digest the information faster. Finally he shook himself and turned to Daniel who was sitting across from him and Sam in front of the desk. "Thank you first off Daniel, for getting Sam out of that place safely."

"We got each other out really," Daniel said, looking down at the floor for a moment, slightly embarrassed.

"Still, without you bringing that stone she wouldn't have been able to free herself," Jacob said firmly. He looked at the two and then said, "What else is there?" He smiled a little when they both looked at him in surprise and then at each other. "Nothing serious hopefully," he said when he saw them both slightly hesitate.

"No," Sam said slowly. "When I was still at the palace, the Ruler wanted to get Daniel, and the stone, to him. So he came up with a way to do that by… opening a link between us."

"A link?" Jacob asked, confused.

"A telepathic and empathic link," Daniel said quietly. As Sam's father looked back and forth between them, a little flabbergasted, he said, "It's true, Sam and I are able to communicate through our minds, and we feel each others pain." He left the fact that they had begun to feel one another's emotions out, since they didn't want it to become public knowledge and more enticement for NID.

"How is this possible?" Selmak said, taking over Jacob. "You say the Ruler opened the link."

"We're not really sure how it happened exactly," Sam replied. "We've had a lot of tests done since we came back and there's no physical evidence of any change in our bodies or minds that would point to what caused it."

"That is amazing," Selmak said. "It should be impossible. Human minds are not connected in such a way."

"No, which is why we're hoping NID won't be coming for us," Daniel said with a sigh. There had been no word yet since Hammond had given SG-1's reports on Philae to his superiors, and it was a strain, wondering if and when they would come for him and Sam.

"But you can refuse them," Jacob said to Daniel. "You're a civilian." When the linguist nodded he leaned back in his chair and said, "There's one more thing you have to tell me."

'_It'll be okay Daniel_,' Sam said quickly to him, knowing he was nervous though their link was closed. She looked at her father and said, trying not to sound anxious, "Dad, while we were on Philae, Daniel and I… We're, we're in love and we've been dating for about a week now," struggling not to rush through the words.

'_I knew this was the news_,' Selmak said triumphantly to his host.

"It's about time," Jacob said with a wide smile after the Tok'ra had spoken. He nearly laughed at the surprised expressions on the two scientists' faces, but held it back. "Selmak is agreeing with me right now. I've watched you two for a long time," he explained. "Seeing the way you're so… compatible and that you rarely argue. I hoped you'd see each other as more than friends. And luckily you guys woke up to that." He reached over to Daniel and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I couldn't have asked for a better man for my little girl."

Sam flushed a little at that, but she was pleased with her father's reaction and relieved that they had finally told him.

"Sammie? Give me a sec to talk to Daniel and then maybe we can get a bite to eat," Jacob said, standing up as Daniel and Sam did the same.

"Sure," Sam said slowly. She shot a quick look at her father; to warn him not to be too hard on Daniel; before she shared a glance with the linguist.

'_Don't worry Sam, he won't do anything_,' Daniel said, surprised at her worried question of if he would be okay.

'_I know, but I'm worried he may give you a hard time_,' Sam said. '_Just don't let him do that_.'

'_I'll try_,' Daniel said reassuringly. He watched her leave his office then, and looked at Jacob, a little nervously.

"That was a little strange to watch," the man replied, a little smile on his face. "Daniel, I just wanted to talk to you, ask you what your intentions are with my daughter?"

"Well… We've only been together for barely a full week," Daniel began after taking a moment to thoroughly thinking through his answer. "But I know already that I want to spend forever with her." At Jacob's silence he reddened and then said, "I love her, very much. I want to marry her and… hopefully have a family with her one day in the future."

"You have my blessing for that," Jacob said, clasping Daniel's shoulder with his hand. "I just hope you'll give me warning before the wedding to get here in time."

"That probably won't be for a while," Daniel said, still blushing slightly.

"Maybe," Jacob said, distracted as Selmak spoke.

'_They will be married shortly_,' the Tok'ra said. '_In less than a year likely_.'

"Daniel, I wanted to speak to you to ask that you take care of my daughter," Jacob then said. When Daniel opened his mouth to speak he held his hand up and said, "I know, she can take care of herself, but still I'd really appreciate it if you took care of her, protect her whenever she might need it."

"I've been doing that already," Daniel said seriously.

"That's right," Jacob said, remembering that he'd gotten Sam away from the Ruler. "Well, I guess that's all I needed to say," he said after a moment. "But, just one more thing; if you ever hurt her, I will not be very happy, and neither will Selmak, as he's just informed me. My daughter doesn't need to be hurt again, so that means no ascension or dying… fully. You have Sam to consider now."

"Don't worry," Daniel said with a slight smile. "I wasn't planning on returning to Oma-land, as Jack likes to call it, any time soon."

Jacob nodded and said, "Okay, now that I've had the standard talk with you, I can move on. How accurate is this… telepathy between you and Sam?"

"Very," Daniel said. "We've been using it to communicate a lot lately; it's a lot easier than speaking verbally."

"I can imagine," Jacob said. "I guess it's a good thing this happened between you two, and not you and Jack."

"That's really… difficult to consider," Daniel said, trying not to make a face at that idea.

"Terrifying I think you mean to say," Jacob said with a chuckle. "Well, I better go and see my daughter before she gets too worried about what I'm saying or doing to you." He shook Daniel's hand, saying goodbye before he left the office, walking over to Sam's lab. '_So Selmak_,' he said as he stepped inside the elevator. '_We're both right about them. I guess our little wager is at a tie_.'

'_There is another_,' Selmak replied.

'_That's true, their wedding_,' Jacob said, smiling to himself. '_The way Daniel spoke in there… I'd say eight or nine months_.'

'_I believe shorter, four or five_,' Selmak said.

'_Either way, how do you feel about getting to experience greeting a new grandchild into the world?_' Jacob said, grinning inwardly as the Tok'ra laughed deeply, wishing he could join in.

* * *

Entering his kitchen late in the afternoon, Daniel looked around wondering what he could do for dinner. He was a little tired after that day as he had spent a long time in his office working on a few different items that had come to the SGC from the other SG teams during his time off, and wanted to relax. So making up his mind he went over to his phone to order some takeout. He decided on Chinese and was about to dial the number when he heard Sam.

'_Daniel?_' she said gently.

'_Sam, has your father left?_' Daniel asked, putting down the phone.

'_About twenty minutes ago. I was wondering if maybe you wanted some Chinese_,' Sam replied. '_I stopped at that place that's not too far from your home. I can be there in about five minutes. That's if you want me to come at all._'

'_I think you know the answer to that already_,' Daniel said with a smile as he walked over to the front door.

'_Good, because I just pulled up in front of your place_,' Sam said, mirth in her voice. She quickly grabbed the bag of takeout on the passenger seat, and hurried up to the house where Daniel was standing in the open doorway, watching her with a smile. "I was going to surprise you, but realized you would notice I was on my way," she said when she reached him.

"You still managed it," Daniel said with a smile as she passed him to enter the house.

Setting down the bag, Sam turned as Daniel closed the door behind him and hugged him tightly. "At least you're still in one piece," she said, smiling as she felt him laugh.

"All he did was talk to me, and give me his blessing for our relationship," Daniel replied, pulling back a little to look into her eyes. "Plus the standard stuff about not hurting you. Though I hope he knew already I would never think of it."

"He knows, he just wanted to give the usual talk to a new boyfriend, it's his prerogative as a father as he liked to put it when my brother and I brought a girlfriend or boyfriend to meet him," Sam said. "He knows you'd never hurt anyone."

Nodding, Daniel leaned down and kissed her, feeling her quickly respond before he slowly pulled away. "I'm really glad you came," he whispered.

"So am I," Sam said, smiling. "Come on, I'm starving and the food's going to get cold."

Daniel picked up the bag of takeout and led Sam to the kitchen. Together they put the food out on two plates, and as they were doing that, Daniel leaned over a few times, kissing the side of her neck gently. Each time he did that she smiled up at him and kissed him softly on the lips before turning back to the counter. When they finally finished they took their plates to the family room and sat in front of the TV. They decided to make a night of watching the Indiana Jones movies, or as many as they could until they needed to sleep.

"So how are the other Tok'ra?" Daniel asked as the first movie started and they settled down to eat.

"The same, there haven't been any new developments," Sam replied. "Just rumors that haven't been confirmed from their operatives." She sighed and then said, "I wish he could stay longer. There are times I miss him, and I can't help worrying about him too."

"Selmak and the other Tok'ra watch over him, Selmak especially," Daniel said gently after swallowing a bite of food. "But yeah, I guess you'll always worry about him, and he'll worry about you even though you can definitely take care of yourself."

Sam smiled at the compliment, and at the fact that he understood her so well. She leaned over and kissed him, slowly pulling away though it had been brief.

"Wh-what did you and your father do until he had to leave?" Daniel asked, licking his lower lip.

"We left the mountain, since it's been a while since he was last able to do that," Sam said with a smile, recalling. "And we had lunch at a little place near the base, but still off the mountain."

* * *

_"So Sammie," Jacob said as he and Sam waited for their food inside the empty café. "How are you doing?"_

_Smiling, since she knew exactly what her father meant by that she replied, "I'm very happy Dad. I always, well, I've always loved Daniel, even since we first met though he wasn't exactly available. But I didn't know it then of course, I wouldn't have allowed myself to realize how strongly I felt about him once I saw Sha're."_

_"And when did you realize that you were?" Jacob asked, watching her. When she looked saddened he sighed and covered her hand on top of the table with his, remembering Daniel's death. "Although I'm glad that you saw how you really felt about him, I'm sorry that it had to happen that way."_

_Sam nodded and then said, "But he came back," more to herself to cheer up, which helped._

_"Did Daniel give this to you?" Jacob said, remembering he'd wanted to ask her about the sapphire pendant she wore as she reached up absently to the necklace and held the gem in between her fingers._

_Glancing around, Sam took a moment to wait for their waitress to put down their food and leave before she spoke. "In a way he did," she replied. At Jacob's confused, questioning look she said, "It was given to me by the king on Philae," her voice quiet in case any one might hear though they were effectively alone. "The Princess of the Blue River explained to me that the Historian gave it to the Warrior Princess not long after they met. As soon as I put it on, I knew that it was mine, it belongs to me," she ended in an almost whisper, lightly stroking the sapphire gem, smiling slightly. "And though Daniel didn't give it to me now, it's still a gift from him, a beautiful gift."_

_Jacob smiled at the look on his daughter's face, and heard Selmak say, 'They are very deeply in love. I have never heard anyone speak of their lover in such a way.' And he replied wryly with, 'Try reading Shakespeare.'_

_Sam shook herself out of her daze then, and blushed when she realized how she had spoken. "I-I'm sorry Dad," she said. "I didn't mean to go on like that."_

_"It's alright Sam, now I understand how much you love him," Jacob said reassuringly with a smile and a nod. "There's something I wanted to ask you about," he said after they'd eaten for a little. "What about Jack?"_

_"Oh…" Sam said, realizing her father must have had some indication in the past that she might be interested in her CO. "I never really loved him. I love him as a friend, yes, but I'm not in love with him. He's a good man and a great Colonel, but… we'd never really get along if we ever were in a relationship there are too many differences between us for it work out for long."_

_"You make a good point, and I'm glad that you realized it," Jacob said. "I always hoped that you might find someone who was either as passionate as you or else understood your passion for your work."_

_"Meaning Daniel basically," Sam said with a smile. Her father merely raised his eyebrows before going back to his meal which she did as well._

_They ate in silence until they had finished, though Selmak spoke to his host, urging him to ask her something. Finally, as they left the café and decided to walk for a little, Jacob cleared his throat and asked, "Have you thought much about what you want from Daniel? Future-wise I mean."_

_Sam was a little taken aback at that and she took a moment before she replied. She and Daniel hadn't really spoken about their relationship and the future; it was still too soon for that. But they knew one another so well that dating was more of a formality. Still, she couldn't deny that she had thought about what she wanted to happen between her and Daniel. She had been thinking of it since before that week; though she always tried to stop herself when she realized she was doing it. Now though, she told her father, "Well, I'm hoping that this will last for a long time," trying not to think about the men in her life that had had a habit of dying. Daniel had as well, but he'd come back which was a good sign. "And if he asked me to marry him… there's no doubt I'd say yes… I'd, I'd like to have a family too, if Daniel wants to of course," she finished, flushed slightly._

_"He'll probably agree with you," Jacob said with a smile. "I know I wouldn't mind having another grandchild."_

_Sam blushed a little harder, and she squeezed her father's arm as they continued to walk. She wondered though, if her father was right in his guess, and Daniel wanted what she did. She was a little unsure of asking him when they had just started their relationship but she made a note to do so in the near future. And as they returned to her car, Sam talked to her father, about Philae and the island she and Daniel had gone to; reminding herself to talk to the linguist when the time was right._

* * *

Daniel was placing the second movie of the trilogy into his DVD player as Sam came out from his kitchen. He turned to sit when he saw two plates on the coffee table in front of the couch. "Where did you get chocolate cake?" he asked in surprise as he sat next to her.

"At the café Dad and I ate at," Sam replied, smiling as Daniel quickly broke off a piece of his slice and ate it. "There was a bakery in it. Any good?" She laughed slightly as Daniel closed his eyes in an obvious sign of how good it was. She took a bite from her slice, and sighed in pleasure at how perfect it was. "Hmm, I'm glad I went back and picked these out."

"Yeah, you have to let me know where this café is exactly," Daniel said, taking a sip of coffee.

Smiling at that, Sam watched as Daniel smiled at her for a moment before looking at the movie which had already started. She reached down with her fork and took a piece of his cake. Calling his name, she slipped it into his mouth as he looked surprised, and she slowly withdrew her fork as they stared into each others eyes intently.

Daniel took the fork from Sam and threw it over onto the table, not noticing its clatter as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently. He felt her sigh before she slid her arms over his shoulders and returned the kiss. He reached up to her a moment later and gently slid his fingers through her hair until he was cupping the back of her head.

When they pulled apart slowly some time later, Sam felt Daniel's hands slide over her back, holding her close to him. She looked into his eyes, and brushed her lips over his as the air around them was literally charged with excitement. She could sense his desire, and knew that he could probably feel hers as he carefully grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it up off of her. She shivered briefly as he removed her bra while he kissed her and helped her lay back.

Once he had removed Sam's pants and panties she helped him with his clothes slowly as they kissed languorously. Everything was forgotten as Daniel switched their positions so he was lying on the couch, and Sam straddled him and lowered her body onto his. She moved slowly so it would give pleasure to them both, and once she was ready she began to move, going slowly. Both of them sighed and groaned in pleasure, and Daniel reached up, holding her hips in his hands. After a while he slid his hands up to her breasts, and Sam pulled him up into a sitting position. They kissed hungrily as she slid her nails over his scalp, and she trembled slightly when his hands slowly stroked every inch of her back before he clutched at the small of it.

Pulling back from their kiss, Daniel pressed hurried kisses down her neck until he reached her breasts. Sam tilted her head back as she felt his mouth gently start to suckle at her right breast. Her hands clenched tightly as he soon moved to the other and repeated the action. She faltered in her movements for a moment, and she gasped out his name. Since he didn't want to stop, Daniel moved quickly, pushing Sam to the other side of the couch so he was on top. He took over, kissing her again, and then taking the chance to explore her upper body as much as he could with his lips, mouth and hands. When the pleasure became too much, Sam cried out and very soon felt Daniel following her over the edge as they thrust towards each other. Once they were both sated, Daniel carefully pulled out of her and lay on his side as Sam did the same and they touched each other's faces with their slightly trembling fingertips. Hers brushing against his lower lip and his rubbing softly against her cheek.

"When I came over I wasn't expecting this to happen," Sam said softly.

"I know, funny how things just developed into that," Daniel said absently. He looked over at the TV, seeing the movie was almost over.

When Sam glanced over as well, the two decided to get dressed for bed; Sam having a bag of clothes in her car already; to spend the rest of the night relaxing. Once they were dressed they lay together on the couch after Daniel had started the movie over again. They were on their sides, Sam in front of Daniel. Quiet while the movie was playing, Sam or Daniel would kiss the other, murmuring and spending the rest of the night very content in each others arms.

* * *

After finishing the second movie, Daniel and Sam decided to go to Daniel's bed as it was late. Sam was almost asleep as they walked, and she quickly got under the covers while Daniel went into his bathroom. She tried to keep awake to wait for him, but she was completely exhausted and jumped when she felt someone next to her.

"Sorry," Daniel said softly. He smiled as she quickly turned over to him, and he reached up to the lamp next to him to turn it off. "Night Sam," he said, watching her shift in the faint light coming from the moon.

Sam was unsure if she responded to that. She was already closing her eyes as he'd spoken, and fell asleep a moment later. It seemed instantaneous and she was opening her eyes again, finding herself in an unfamiliar room lit by the light of day. It took a moment but she realized quickly that she was dreaming.

* * *

_Sitting up on a couch, Sam glanced around herself, taking in her surroundings to try and figure out where she was. The room was decorated very simply, and also had a number of artifacts and other items on tables and shelves. She smiled, realizing she was in hers and Daniel's home. She started to stand up but felt someone next to her as she began to move. Glancing down, she saw a little girl of about three or four leaning against her._

_"Mommy?" the girl said, tilting her head back._

_"I'm sorry sweetie," Sam said, stroking her blonde hair. She had been a little taken aback by the sight of the girl's cerulean shade of blue eyes, but once she was over that surprise she was delighted at their hue. She was shaken from her thoughts when the girl got off the couch._

_"Where's Daddy?" she asked, peering intently at Sam._

_"You know he had to work," Sam replied, speaking without thinking. She wondered why she wasn't there as well, but got her answer when she started to get up. She was about six or seven months pregnant from the size of her stomach, but was able to stand with only a slight struggle. She was a little confused, but became distracted when hers and Daniel's daughter ran out of the room when they both heard the sound of a door opening._

_"Daddy!" the little girl cried happily as Daniel stepped into the house, Sam coming up to the door as she hugged him tightly._

_"Hello princess," Daniel said with a wide smile as he picked the girl up. "Did you have fun today at school?"_

_"Yeah, I got to make pictures for you and Uncle Jack and Uncle Teal'c," the little girl giggled as she kissed Daniel's cheek and hugged him around the neck._

_"Good, you'll show me later right?" Daniel asked. He kissed her and set her down before looking up at Sam. He smiled at her and went to where she was standing._

_"How is everyone on base?" Sam asked, feeling absurdly shy for some reason._

_"Good, I brought some things for you from one of the teams," Daniel said. He hugged her tightly then, pressing his lips to hers for a moment before pulling back. "It was so weird not to see you there today," he murmured._

_"Well, you know I'd love to be there but my doctor is there too. And if Janet saw me walking down the halls…" Sam began teasingly. She was a little surprised at how widely Daniel smiled at that, and realized that from the moment he'd walked inside the house she'd been able to quickly notice that he was happier than she'd ever seen him. She was surprised again when he reached down to her stomach, placing both his hands on either side of it._

_"You're okay Sam?" Daniel asked as he rubbed her abdomen in small circles._

_"Yes, I…" Sam started to reply when she felt a strong flutter and a tap by Daniel's right hand. She opened her mouth to say something when she suddenly felt another kick that was under his left hand._

_"They're moving pretty well," Daniel said with a smile and a short laugh._

_"I know, it's still weird feeling two in there," Sam replied though she was startled at the revelation that she was carrying twins._

_"Daddy, play with me," their daughter said, tugging on Daniel's jacket._

_"Give me a sec sweetie," Daniel said with a smile. "Why don't you go and grab the arrow set your Uncle Jack gave you?" When the little girl had left the room he took Sam's hand and led her over to the room that she had woken up in. "I wonder sometimes why Jack gave her that toy bow and arrows," he commented as they stepped out onto the house's patio where the little girl was rummaging through a box of toys._

_"He wants to prep her for a career in the Air Force, starting with survivalist training," Sam said jokingly._

_"You're probably right," Daniel said. He turned to her and suddenly grew serious, his eyes gazing at her intently._

_"What?" Sam asked, smiling slightly._

_"You're so beautiful," Daniel said, his voice full of awe. "You know that I love you right Sam?" he said as he pulled her into his embrace._

_"I know," Sam replied with a smile. "I love you too." She closed her eyes as he leaned down to her, and as his lips pressed to hers she wrapped her arms around his neck, responding quickly. As their tongues met a few seconds later and she was falling deeper into the kiss, she felt the flutter of movement of their children against her abdomen._

* * *

With a slight jerk, Sam awoke and before she realized it she was reaching for her stomach. Shaking her head she removed her hand and slipped carefully out of Daniel's arms, turning to see if she'd woken him up. Luckily he was still fast asleep, and he rolled from his side onto his back as she grabbed his robe that was on his dresser. She quietly left the room, stopping in the doorway to see one more time if he was awake before she stepped out.

Once she was outside, Sam wrapped her arms around herself and looked up at the sky, thinking about her dream. She had been surprised that she had been able to sense everything as if she'd actually been there. It had been so real. It was why she had touched her stomach when she had woken up; she'd half expected to feel it heavily swollen.

Sighing deeply, Sam's mind turned to the possibility of being pregnant. She had always thought of it as something she might want one day, but not for some time. Now though, she found herself desiring it, wanting that dream to be a reality. To carry hers and Daniel's child. At that thought she shivered though it wasn't cold in his robe that was almost three sizes too big for her. She decided then that she wanted to have children with Daniel, but not unless they got married as she knew it would probably be a while until that happened. Even with that decision though, with the dream still fresh in her mind she ached to have it. A little girl with Daniel's blue eyes and the possibility of a son, or another daughter or two. She was so deep in her thoughts that she gasped and whirled around when she sensed someone near her.

"Sam, are you okay?" Daniel asked as he took her hands. "You scared me when I woke up and you weren't there."

"I'm sorry," Sam said, letting him lead her back inside. "I just, I had a dream and I needed to think."

"A dream?" Daniel said slowly as they walked into his bedroom. He helped her take his robe off and he set it aside before following her to the bed. "Do you want to tell me?" he asked, sitting up against the headboard next to her. When she bit her lower lip he said quickly, "You don't have to."

Shaking her head, Sam replied, "No, I want to." And she proceeded to tell him about it, not looking at him as she spoke. In the back of her mind, she was afraid that he wouldn't really be enthusiastic at the thought of them having kids and she didn't want to see she was right in the expression on his face. But when she finished, she felt his fingers on her chin, and he was kissing her softly before pulling back.

"It was a beautiful dream," Daniel said gently.

Her eyes widening slightly in surprise, Sam began to ask, "Did you…" but trailed off when he inclined his head slightly. "Is this part of our link?"

"Maybe," Daniel replied. "But it's what I dreamt Sam and…" He paused, looking down at her hand that he was holding for a moment. He glanced back into her eyes intently and said, "One day in the future I'd love for us to be as close to that dream as we can."

Sam smiled, relieved to hear that, and hugged him tightly whispering in his ear, "Not too far in the future I hope."

Daniel let out a short laugh and embraced her tighter, stroking her hair for a moment before he leaned back enough to look in her eyes. "I love you Major-Doctor Samantha Carter," he said solemnly. "_Aen latre esi_."

Sam blushed slightly at the intensity in Daniel's voice and his words. She leaned over and kissed him, a passionate kiss that would have knocked her to the floor if she had been standing when he quickly responded to her lips. When they stopped to breathe a good while later she felt her lips still tingling, as if his were still crushed against them. She lightly licked them before she cupped his face between her hands and said, "I love you too Daniel Jackson. _Aen k'ul tesba_."

Smiling, Daniel kissed her again, tempted to lay her down on the bed and keep kissing her until they both passed out. But he didn't move, only to tilt his head slightly as their tongues pressed and rubbed together in her mouth. He wasn't sure how long they were there, but when they pulled away he noticed that the window facing east was turning lighter in color. "Almost dawn," he said as Sam turned her head to see what he was looking at.

"Let's watch," Sam said with a smile. "It's been a while since I watched the sun rise here on Earth."

Daniel smiled and got off the bed to pull the blinds off of the window and grab a blanket he kept inside his closet and once he was back at the bed he wrapped one half around Sam before he sat next to her. She immediately scooted over so she was pressed close to him, and he wrapped his arm around her while he put the other half of the blanket around himself. He watched with her as he held her tightly. While the sky lightened, he felt a sense of contentment filled with joy. With the knowledge that Sam wanted their dream to be real he felt ready to face whatever might happen. Even with the Gou'ald still out there, he and Sam would work with the rest of the SGC and its allies to make sure that they were destroyed. And that meant that he and Sam would be able to raise a family in peace. At that thought he smiled, seeing again their daughter in the dream in his mind. He kissed the top of Sam's head softly, and when she looked up at him he could tell instantly that she was thinking the same.

Since her fear that Daniel wouldn't want kids with her was proven wrong, Sam felt a sense of happiness and even a little excitement for when that would become a reality. As she let herself imagine what their kids might look like; daughters having her golden hair but Daniel's wonderful blue eyes, sons with his brown hair and possibly her paler blue eyes or else Daniel's; she thought she saw something out of the corner of her eyes. Turning to them her mouth dropped open as she saw two transparent figures. '_Daniel_,' she said, grabbing his hand that was on her stomach to get his attention.

'_It's them_,' Daniel said gently, lightly squeezing her hip.

Before Sam could reply to that, realizing he was right and it was the Princess and Historian, a ray of light filtered into the room through a tree. It shone through the figures, and after a bright flash of light they disappeared, Sam turning to Daniel. "I thought they… left," she said.

"I know," Daniel replied. "I guess… I guess they wanted to show us they're happy that we've got a future to plan for?" he guessed.

"You're right," Sam said, nodding as she felt the sudden realization. "Daniel, we will go back to Philae right?" she asked as he got off the bed, taking the blanket with him.

"I hope so," Daniel said as he pulled the blinds over the window. "I think everyone there expects us back."

"We do want to keep them happy," Sam said as she laid down and Daniel climbed under the covers next to her. "To keep the treaty. That metal will be great for use here. And… I do want to go back," she finally said.

"So do I," Daniel replied. "We'll go back; somehow we'll get back to the planet."

Nodding, Sam let out a little yawn and settled on top of his chest, closing her eyes. "Night Daniel, I love you," she sighed, feeling drowsiness wash over her along with the warmth of his arms holding her tightly.

"Sweet dreams Sam," Daniel replied, smiling down at her. He reached up and lightly stroked her cheek with the side of his index finger. And as her eyes closed he whispered seriously, "I love you too."

Daniel watched her sleep then, gently running his other hand over her shoulder slowly. He glanced over at his nightstand and the drawer, imagining the order that he had in there. He smiled to himself as he thought of his trip the day before, and the lie he'd had to make up for why he'd had a sapphire that was of such a high quality as it had turned out. Luckily he'd been given a letter from General Hammond, just in case, to support his cover story. After that everything had been set and he could pick it up in a week. He felt a mix of excitement and nervousness, thinking of the moment in the future when he'd give Sam his surprise. "Not too far in the future though," he said out loud quietly, looking down at her. Smiling, he pressed his lips to her forehead and allowed himself to sleep anticipating his and Sam's dreams, their future and all the possibilities there were for them, together.


	25. Epilogue: Great Day, Beautiful Night

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else and the show belongs to those who created it, MGM etc. etc.

A/N #1: So this is it, the end of the line for my story. I want to say a big, big thanks to each and every one of you that reviewed for me, I loved it! And as this chapter is quite long I'd love it if there is a long review from my wonderful readers, but if you can't, then that is absolutely alright, just let me know what you think! Thank you so much my readers, you're all awesome! Also, I'm not planning on writing a sequel for this, maybe in the far off future, but for now my life is too busy for a sequel, sorry about that :(

A/N #2: The title of this chapter are both songs by Paul McCartney; _Great Day _and_ Beautiful Night_, thought they would be appropriate.

A/N #3: Translations for what's in this chapter:  
-_ Aen tesba k'ul hmat esi, later esi m chy_ ~ I will always love you, adore you my soul  
-_ Esi ec m hmat, m lb'at k'ul_ ~ You have my love, my heart always  
-_ d'ashar_ ~ please  
-_ Arist esi d'hk at aku mat'la eme b'hd_ ~ Thank you so much for giving me this gift  
-_ Esi ec mat eme en b'hd_ ~ You have given me a gift  
-_ Ki aen tesba peir k'aro hmat esi aku at_ ~ And I will never stop loving you for it

A/N #4: I changed around a lot of the events of the rest of season 7, just the way I think they should have gone in case you're wondering, this is AU after all, lol.

A/N #5: The song in this chapter is by Paul McCartney (so I don't own it) _Maybe I'm Amazed_. I think it's a perfect Sam/Daniel song, and I hope you readers will agree with me!

A/N #6: There's just a love scene and a description of a love scene in this chapter, I wanted to warn you readers just in case.

Epilogue  
Great Day, Beautiful Night

Eight months later…  
Trying to pay attention to the man standing in front of them, Sam glanced next to her. She wasn't too surprised that he was paying attention to what was being said, or it appeared he was. After a few seconds he slightly turned his head towards her and gave her a brilliant smile that made her heart melt and her knees weak at the same time. She could feel his joy through their link, knowing that he was being deliberate in her sensing the emotion. He'd been doing it ever since he had seen her only a few minutes earlier. It added to what she was feeling, and it was all she could do to stop smiling like an idiot every second.

Her thoughts were shaken when she felt Daniel move to take her hand, and she turned to face him, her heart beating wildly. She watched him take the ring from Jack who was behind him, and then turned back to her. It had seemed like a very long time had passed before they had gotten to that point, and a lot had happened to them and SG-1 since their mission on Philae.

Sam had joined the crew of the ship Prometheus and had nearly died when the crew had disappeared, she'd suffered a concussion and the ship's hull was breached. Luckily, due to a number of hallucinations of Daniel, her father and her teammates, along with one of a little girl, she'd been able to free the ship from the cloud it had been trapped in and retuned home. It had been during her time on the Prometheus that she'd learned hers and Daniel's link was so strong that they'd been able to talk even separated by so great a distance. But they only spoke at the beginning of Sam's problems. Daniel had been able to siphon off a large amount of the pain from her concussion and she'd spoken to him telling him to stop before she had closed both links firmly. They'd had a long talk when she'd recovered and was released from the Infirmary, discussing what they would do when they could feel each others pain while on missions. They had agreed then that they would keep their link closed if the pain was extreme so they wouldn't be hit by the other's injury and risk it happening while they were fighting off world.

Very soon after the Prometheus, Daniel had been taken hostage in South America while trying to locate a weapon that he had discovered might have been the 'Fountain of Youth.' His kidnappers had tortured him, trying to discern why he was there and what the machine Daniel had found was for. Sam hadn't sensed that Daniel had been kidnapped, he'd kept their link closed firmly during that. She instead had felt the searing pain of his skin being burned again and again with a battery. At the time it had happened she had been helping Siler with the Stargate, checking for any problems with the iris when she had collapsed on the ramp, screaming as Daniel did so in her mind. After that he had fallen unconscious, and Sam had been taken to the Infirmary where she'd been kept sedated by Janet until Daniel had been rescued by Jack. Their reunion was bittersweet when he'd returned to the SGC as for a long time after Daniel suffered from nightmares, and Sam had had to help him get over what had happened to him, making sure he never pushed her away. Though at first he had tried, she was able to get through to him and it was a month after his kidnapping; three months after Philae; that he proposed to her.

They had faced super soldiers, Replicators and Gou'ald again and again in the eight months leading up to this day. They had both almost been taken by the NID for experimentation, and only the fact that there was no physical proof of what had caused their link saving them and Daniel's absolute refusal to go with them for even basic experiments sending the men that had come for them away for good. Their probationary period had been lifted by Hammond after they'd shown time and time again that they were able to stay professional when one of them was hurt during a mission. And they had nearly died numerous times, but in the end had returned home to Earth and to one another. Anubis had been defeated in a battle over Earth, his ship destroyed along with him a month before the wedding. But all that had happened to SG-1 and the SGC had taken a backseat in Sam and Daniel's mind, as he held the wedding band to her finger and stared deep in her eyes.

"Sam," Daniel spoke, hoping his voice didn't betray his nervousness. "Ever since we first met I knew that you were a very special woman. As we got to know one another better I was even more amazed by you. By your strength, your intelligence, your passion for learning, your compassion for others and everything about you that has put me in awe of you. As the years went by I became more aware of how I felt about you and that I was falling in love with you. I never really imagined that you could feel the same for me; I'd always thought that you deserved someone a lot better than me. But on that mission when you told me you were in love with me too I had never been that happy for a long time. And now with you by my side I am no longer alone in the world, and together we will face anything. I will do whatever it takes to honor you Samantha, to respect you and to love you with all my heart and soul forever."

As tears welled up in Sam's eyes, Daniel was instructed to repeat after the man they had chosen to officiate the wedding. He looked into her eyes as he vowed to honor, love and respect her for the rest of their lives. '_And if we both should ascend, for eternity too_,' Daniel added to her quickly. He slid the silver wedding band; they had talked about having rings made from the metal on Philae, but decided against it; on her fourth left finger, and felt a sense of joy and elation that he knew passed to Sam.

Sam blinked her tears away as she turned to Janet behind her, smiling at her friend as the doctor handed her a ring. Turning back to Daniel, she took his left hand and placed the ring just above his ring finger. She felt a pang of nervousness, since she was worried that her vows wouldn't be as touching as Daniel's were. But she could feel his reassurance through their link and in his gaze. So, taking deep breath inwardly, she began, staring into his blue eyes the whole time she spoke, never breaking his gaze.

"Daniel, seven years ago I met the man who has become my best friend, my soul mate and the love of my life," she said, smiling a little when Daniel's cheeks grew slightly red at the sincerity of her words. "I didn't know it then, but I actually fell in love with you even before I had met you. I read all your papers and was amazed by your mind and how brilliant you are. After, when we become teammates I learned more about you and my love for you grew each time you and I spent time together. You're intelligent, kind, a compassionate and caring man, especially with those you love. I lost you for a year Daniel, and that was the worst time of my life, not having you by my side to work with, to talk to. But you came back to us, and I thought I'd never be happier than when I saw you again, but I was proven wrong. When you told me you loved me it was the most beautiful moment of my life. I look forward to filling up my life with more beautiful moments with you Daniel. I will always love you, respect you and honor you. I will never stop, for the rest of my life, forever."

She then started to repeat the vows that Daniel had said, promising to love, honor and respect him always. '_And when we ascend too_,' she said mentally, making him smile. And she finally slipped his silver band onto his finger.

They were pronounced husband and wife, and told to kiss one another which Daniel did immediately, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Sam's waist. She was there to meet him, her mouth gentle to match his and they held on tightly to each other before they slowly pulled apart and turned to their guests who were applauding. They both smiled widely at one another and everyone else as they left the makeshift altar of a trellis covered in blue flowers in the park that was near Sam's home, the one they'd gone to during their first date on Earth.

When they had left the guests and stood near a gazebo Daniel turned to Sam and smiled widely at her. "I love you so much Samantha Carter-" he began.

"Samantha Carter-Jackson," Sam corrected with a smile, a shiver going up her spine at saying that for the first time.

Daniel was smiling so broadly that it almost hurt, and he brought her hands in his up to his lips, kissing the palms before he turned them over and kissed the backs. He then admired her rings, rubbing the top of her sapphire in her engagement ring that was temporarily on her right hand and said, "You look so amazing Sam."

Blushing, Sam wrapped her arms around Daniel's neck and they shared a tender kiss. "I love you Daniel. You're so… so handsome. And I don't think I've ever been this happy," she said as he pressed his forehead to hers. She smiled when he flushed and she pressed her lips to his softly before they pulled away. She slid her hands down onto his shoulders and studied her rings, almost unable to believe that they were really there.

Daniel, seeing her staring at her hands, smiled and hugged her tightly to him again.

'_I can't believe it_,' Sam admitted to him. '_We're really married. This feels like a dream_.'

'_I can pinch you if you'd like, to make sure_,' Daniel said teasingly. He smiled as she giggled out loud and he looked into her eyes as he pulled away slightly.

"This is real," Sam said seriously. She was surprised when he took her engagement ring off her finger then and slid it onto her left hand. "I love you," she repeated, tears in her eyes as she recalled the moment he had first slid the sapphire and diamond ring onto that same finger, one night five months before.

* * *

_"Welcome home," Sam said as she stepped aside to let Daniel walk into his house. He'd been allowed to leave the Infirmary after recovering from his injuries he'd sustained during his time in Honduras and the Telchack device. He'd gotten a clean bill of health from Janet earlier that day and had switched from crutches to a cane that he used for his leg that had been shot. Sam watched him easily walk in front of her, and said, "Do you need some painkillers, or a drink or something?" trying not to ask how he was though she was tempted to._

_All during Daniel's recovery he had been quiet about his kidnapping and torture. He wouldn't tell anyone what happened besides what he'd said in his debriefing and report. He never talked about how he had felt or his fear or pain. No one had even realized that he'd been having nightmares about the whole incident until Sam had discovered him in the throes of one in his Infirmary bed one night. She had woken him up, and after convincing him to open their empathic link, she felt his pain and fear. Daniel told her everything then when she reminded him he couldn't push her away as he'd done with everyone else; she wouldn't let him. He told her about his nightmares and all that had happened since he'd left for South America. And she herself told him about her collapse at the moment he'd been tortured. It had shaken Daniel to think he'd lost control of their link, but Sam reassured him she was fine and she had been glad to take a little of the pain he'd felt from being tortured. And she had told him that all she'd cared about was him being safe and getting back to normal once again. The conviction in her eyes once she had spoken him had made him realize something, and he'd decided then and there to talk to her once he was better and could return home._

_"No, I'm fine, hungry though," Daniel said. "I was only able to grab a quick bite before Janet did all those tests." As he spoke he was walking to his kitchen and when he grabbed the phone said to her, "I'm calling the Chinese place. The usual?"_

_"Yeah, that's fine," Sam said, taking the phone before he could dial. "I'll order it, you should probably put that leg up."_

_Daniel smiled at Sam's commanding tone of voice and he leaned down slightly, kissing her tenderly on the lips. He had intended it make it fast but the second he felt her soft lips under his he stepped closer and took her into his arm. He let that go on as long as he could before he needed to breathe and he gently pulled away. He was about to tell her he loved her when she pressed her fingertips to his mouth to stop him._

_"I know," Sam said with a smile at Daniel's surprise. "I can feel it."_

_Nodding, since he could sense it from her as well, Daniel remembered that he wanted to talk to her, so he kissed her and said, "Order whatever you want, I'll be right back."_

_"Where are you going?" Sam asked in surprise._

_"Just to my room," Daniel said, already walking towards it._

_Sam was a little surprised but she shook her head and dialed the nearest Chinese restaurant, hoping that he was alright._

_After the two had eaten, watching a show on the History Channel an hour later, Daniel swallowed roughly, his mouth suddenly dry. All through the meal he'd been growing more nervous with each second that had passed. He'd kept their link closed, but knew that Sam was getting worried about him with the way she looked at him from time to time. When the show they were watching ended, he took a deep breath and turned off the TV. Turning towards her as she looked at him in slight surprise and a little more concern, he got off the couch and got on his knees in front of her._

_"Daniel-" Sam said quickly, starting to get up._

_"It's alright," Daniel assured her, taking her hands into his own._

_"But your leg…" Sam began._

_"It's alright," Daniel replied gently but firmly. He looked down at her hands for a moment before he started to speak, looking up at her to see her reaction. "Sam, almost six years ago I met a woman who completely amazed me with her brilliance and intelligence. I fell for her pretty much instantly though I didn't realize it then. But I did fall for you then Sam, and hard. And after you told me you were in love with me on Philae, everything has been… I've never been so happy. I love you deeply and I want to spend the rest of my life loving you. I want to wake up every morning seeing your beautiful face before anything else, holding you in my arms. I want to have a family with you, raise our kids together and teach them right from wrong. I want to grow old with you, never forgetting that you are the most beautiful, intelligent and kind person I could ever meet. That that's the reason I fell in love with you. Will you make me even happier than I've been the last three months and marry me Major-Doctor Samantha Carter?"_

_Sam's eyes filled with tears as Daniel had spoken, and she almost missed him bring out a small box from his pocket. She bit her lower lip as he pushed it open and one of her tears fell at the sight of the ring inside. "Oh god, Daniel yes," she whispered and she wrapped her arms around him tightly, bringing him up to her mouth for a deep kiss. She would have spent a long time there, but she suddenly remembered he was kneeling and she pulled away, making him sit on the couch next to her._

_Once he was sitting, Daniel took the ring out and took Sam's left hand. His heart pounding, he slid it on her finger, and then pulled her into his arms, kissing her tenderly. "Sam… I love you," he said when they pulled apart._

_"I love you too," Sam replied, touching his lower lip with the tips of her fingers. Her ring caught her attention then, and as she stared at the sapphire surrounded by a smaller diamond on either side she had a sudden realization. "This is from the stone, how did you…?" she asked, looking up at him._

_"It was the only piece that was left when we destroyed the rest of it," Daniel replied. "I picked it up and didn't even realize I had it until later that night. I… you do like it?" he asked, becoming a little worried._

_"It's beautiful," Sam said earnestly, cupping his face in her hands. "And I love it, and you Daniel, so much."_

_Daniel literally beamed at her and leaned down to press his forehead to hers. Their lips brushing he said, "Aen tesba k'ul hmat esi, later esi m chy," his voice growing husky._

_"Esi ec m hmat, m lb'at k'ul," Sam replied, her heartbeat speeding up. She lay back on the couch bringing Daniel with her. They kissed hungrily for a long while, her body immediately responding. When they both needed to breathe she brushed her lips against his and whispered, "Daniel?"_

_"Yeah?" Daniel asked, nuzzling her neck with his lips._

_"Show me how much you'll love me," Sam said with a smile._

_A responding smile appeared on Daniel's face and he helped her stand before they hurried to his room. For the rest of the night they showed one another how much they loved each other; Daniel's injuries completely forgotten in their passion. They slept deeply and dreamlessly; the first time in days for Daniel; Sam's left hand clasped tightly in his, her sapphire and diamonds gently sparkling in the dawn light._

* * *

The reception was held in a ballroom of one of the more upscale hotels in Colorado Springs. Dinner had been served to everyone, Sam and Daniel's guests were few, only forty mostly from the SGC. Still, there were a few guests that weren't aware of the Stargate program, so Teal'c was wearing a hat and the others were careful about what they said.

"Alright," Jack said. "As best man I'll go ahead and start the toasts to the lucky couple." He picked up his glass of wine and turned to Sam and Daniel who were at the middle of the table, next to him. "When I first met you both, I remember thinking about how unlucky I was to have to be stuck with scientists," he began jokingly, smiling as Sam rolled her eyes and Daniel shook his head, both smiling though. "But as I got to know you two I saw that you weren't just scientists, you were incredibly stubborn scientists. Still, I never saw anyone more suited for each other than you kids. And watching you the past six years I'm amazed this didn't happen a couple of years ago. Here's to you, so you'll have many years together to bring each other a little happiness. To you Daniel, Sam," he continued, raising his glass as the other guests tapped theirs together, Sam and Daniel doing the same before sharing a brief kiss.

After Jack had spoken, Janet gave her toast to the newlyweds, following along a similar line as Jack in that she wished them a long, happy life together. Jacob spoke too, telling Sam and Daniel that he knew they would be married for a long time and would be in love as long too. After sharing a kiss with Daniel, Sam hugged her father tightly to thank him for his words, and Daniel shook his father-in-law's hand.

At that point, Daniel stood up and turned to his wife saying, "Sam, I've told you this from the minute I knew you loved me, and I want to say it again. I love you, so much, so deeply. In you I have a friend, a soul mate and a woman who I will never stop loving. Even with my dying breath I will be yours and until that time I will spend every moment treasuring you more than anything I could ever learn or discover. There is nothing more I do love than you Samantha Carter-Jackson. Now and for eternity."

Sam immediately stood as soon as he had finished speaking, and wrapped her arms tightly around him. She whispered a heartfelt thanks in his ear before he gently kissed her. She was able to fight her tears, and she pulled away from Daniel, taking his hand. "I have never been so happy or as loved as I have been the past eight months. I never really imagined that I would ever meet a man like you, or that you'd love me back. But now I know that the impossible can be made possible, and in this case I'm so glad that it has. You are my soul mate, my best friend and you understand me as no other man could. I will make sure we spend the rest of our lives together, never forgetting why we fell in love. I swear to you, you have all my love Daniel Jackson, forever." She could feel his happiness through their link as she'd spoken, and she wasn't too surprised when Daniel gathered her into an embrace and they shared a brief kiss, his gratitude filling her soul.

The toasts over, the guests started to get up and talk with each other as music began to play. Sam whispered to Daniel and stood, walking over to where Catherine Langford was sitting at one of the tables.

"Sam, you look so beautiful, so happy," the woman said, smiling as the astrophysicist sat in the chair next to her.

"Thank you, how are you Catherine?" Sam asked as she took her hands.

"I'm alright, I wish that Ernest could have been here to see this, to see you two. He always agreed with me when I said you both would perfect for each other," Catherine said, looking a little saddened.

"Hey," Jack said, going over to where Daniel was standing with one of the members of the Linguistics Department. The man left and the colonel said to his friend, "That was a great toast Danny."

"Thanks, I try," Daniel said with a small smile.

Jack grinned as he watched the linguist's eyes drift over to where Sam was talking with Catherine. "You've got it bad Space Monkey," he said, clapping his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I knew it wouldn't take long for you to get to this day."

"We would have married last month but…" Daniel said, not looking at Jack as he spoke. He smiled as Sam glanced over at him then and he said mentally, '_You really do look amazing_.'

Sam couldn't help the blush that appeared on her cheeks, and she stood after saying goodbye to Catherine. She walked over to where Janet was standing with Cassie and said once she reached them, "Are you guys having fun?"

"Once we start dancing we will," Cassie said with a smile. "Oh Sam, you looked so beautiful."

"Daniel definitely agrees," Janet said, nodding over to him.

"And I think Jack would say the same thing about you," Sam said. She smiled as the doctor smiled, her cheeks a little red, and was pleased that her friend was so happy.

The colonel and doctor had started dating right after P3X-666 where Janet had nearly been killed by a staff weapon shot, but Daniel who had been with her had heard the Jaffa who had fired only a few seconds before the shot went off and had been able to grab her and throw them both to the ground in time. It seemed that after Jack and Janet had returned home and everyone learned how close the doctor had been to losing her life, the two had suddenly noticed each other, but the doctor had confessed that she had always been interested in the colonel since SG-1's mission to the Land of Light and everything that had happened after. And Jack had told Daniel that although Janet could be a strict dictator, she really was a great woman. Sam and Daniel both agreed that there would probably be another wedding within the year, the two were so obviously happy with one another.

Daniel, alone as Jack had gone to talk to Teal'c who was standing near the dance floor, knew that it was time for the first dance. He looked over at Sam who was still talking to Janet though they were alone. He was surprised to see the doctor looking serious, and Sam nodding to what seemed to be questions. He took a deep breath and walked over to them, taken aback when they abruptly stopped talking as he neared.

"Time for the first dance?" Sam asked, smiling as Daniel took her hand.

"Yeah," Daniel replied and he led her out to the open space. '_Are you alright?_' he asked gently.

'_Perfect_,' Sam said, firmly as they reached the middle. She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Everything around them disappeared as the song they'd chosen together started to play. A bit after Daniel proposed to Sam she had been listening to the radio and a song had started when Daniel had entered the room. They had listened to the lyrics together, and when it ended Daniel had been struck by how fitting it was when he considered his feelings for Sam. He'd bought it on CD soon after and listened to it so often that Sam had teasingly told him it might as well be their song. And from that moment on it was.

Holding Sam close, Daniel softly sang the lyrics into her ear, smiling as she shivered slightly, her cheek pressed to his. He swayed with her slowly and putting every bit of his love for her into the words.

_Baby I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time  
__And maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you_

_Maybe I'm amazed at the way you pulled me out of time  
__Hung me on a line  
__Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you_

_Baby I'm a man, maybe I'm a lonely man  
__Who's in the middle of something  
__That he doesn't really understand_

_Maybe I'm a man  
__Maybe you're the only woman who could ever help me  
__Baby, won't you help me to understand?_

_Baby I'm a man, maybe I'm a lonely man  
__Who's in the middle of something  
__That he doesn't really understand_

_Baby I'm a man  
__And maybe you're the only woman who could ever help  
__Baby won't you help me to understand_

_Maybe I'm amazed at the way you're with me all the time  
__And maybe I'm afraid of the way I leave you_

_Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song  
__You right me when I'm wrong  
__Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you_

_Maybe I'm a man, maybe I'm a lonely man  
__Who's in the middle of something  
__That he doesn't really understand_

_Baby I'm a man  
__You're the only woman who could ever help me  
__Won't you help me to understand?_

_Oh maybe I'm amazed  
__Maybe I'm amazed  
__Yeah, maybe I'm amazed  
__Maybe I'm amazed  
__I'm amazed with you_

Coming out of a daze, Sam realized that the song had changed and looking over Daniel's shoulder saw that other guests were dancing around them. She smiled as she saw Teal'c dancing with Cassie, her father dancing with Catherine and the colonel with Janet. She sighed in contentment as Daniel's hand rubbed her back gently and she pulled away slightly to look up into his eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but the look on his face silenced her and she met his lips as he bent his head slightly. She could have kissed him forever, but as they weren't alone they pulled away from each other a few seconds later. She tightened her embrace around him, resting her cheek against his shoulder. She kept seeing the expression on his face as they kept dancing. The intense joy and love on his face had taken her breath away, and she sent her love for him through their link.

Daniel smiled when he felt Sam's emotions well up inside him. He leaned down and kissed her hair, taking a moment to smell the scent of the gold strands. He closed his eyes and saw her in his mind, and she took his breath away. '_You're too beautiful Sam_,' he told her.

Smiling, Sam sent him a thank you, pleased that he had been complimenting her so much. She had chosen a very simple gown, white with a high waist and thin straps. It brushed over the floor, and had a very small train of a few inches. It was very similar to the chiton she'd been given on Philae, and she had something from the planet with her outfit that day.

She and Daniel had sent word to the royal family about their upcoming marriage, and the Princess Monifa herself had gone to the SGC presenting to both the scientists an engraved box that had caught Daniel's attention with its Philaen writing on it. But inside had been a necklace that she was wearing with her wedding gown at that moment. It was made of the silver/gold of the planet though it was more of a silver color. There was a chain of oval sunburst sapphires circling her neck, and directly below them was another chain of sapphires. In between the gemstones were pearls, though they were Philaen pearls which were streaked with pale blue veins. For Daniel there had been a pin with an oval sapphire and tiny black Philaen pearls streaked with white. He was wearing it then, pinned to the tie of his suit.

'_You look handsome yourself_,' Sam said then with a smile. She exchanged a kiss with him before she pressed her cheek against his.

Smiling slightly, Daniel nodded, glad that she liked his choice of suit since he'd gotten it especially for the wedding. It was black and he'd decided on wearing a three-piece one instead of a normal suit or tuxedo. The tie that he wore was a very pale blue and the pin he had on it contrasted well with it. He smiled as he recalled his and Sam's desire to include Monifa and the rest of the royal family, but it had been impossible for them to be guests to the ceremony. So instead they had spoken with the Princess and had decided that when they went to Philae for the Princess' wedding, they would have a small ceremony of their own on the planet. It would be a way for them to honor Thorcamb and Monifa and all the other people of the planet who believed that they would have a chance at the life that the Warrior Princess and Historian never had. And he and Sam especially wanted to have the ceremony where they had confessed that they were both in love with one another. He sighed as Sam turned so their foreheads were pressed together, and brushed his lips over hers.

* * *

For most of the reception, Sam and Daniel danced together, mainly to the slower songs as they were both unsure of their dancing skills besides that. Sam danced with Jack once, not surprised when he told her while they were dancing to take care of Daniel, threatening to make it an order which had made her laugh. She also danced with her father, who complimented her, telling her that she was literally glowing and that he knew she would be very happy with Daniel for a long time. Daniel had danced with Catherine while Sam and Jacob had danced. They had spoken a little about the mission to Philae as Catherine had already been told about Daniel and Sam's link. She had told him that she hoped they would both have a wonderful life with each other, and Daniel assured her that they already did, Catherine hugging him tightly before Jacob brought Sam over to Daniel.

During a break in the dancing, Sam and Daniel cut their wedding cake, playfully feeding each other pieces of it that had been decorated with the flowers from Philae in icing; the same flowers that Monifa had given them seeds to before they had left the planet. And those same flowers were now growing in the backyard of the house they had bought together a month before. After that, Sam had given away her bouquet, choosing to give it to Catherine since in a way she had become aware of Daniel because of the older woman. The reception continued until four, when Sam and Daniel said goodbye to their guests and left to get ready to depart for their honeymoon.

A half hour later they were being driven to the cable airport nearby, having decided that Sam would fly them to Marin County in California where they would be staying in a rented beach house for a week. Jack had insisted on driving them to the airport to say goodbye, Teal'c sitting in the seat next to him. When they reached the airport, Sam checked their plane while Daniel loaded his and Sam's suitcases. Once they were ready, Jack clapped Daniel's shoulder and spoke.

"You kids have fun over there," he said. "And don't fall in love with the place."

"We are going to come back sir," Sam said as she and Daniel exchanged a glance.

"We did come back from Philae," Daniel said, trying not to smile. "Though we almost didn't…"

"Oh, funny," Jack said, shaking his head. "Just have fun and be back in a week."

"We will," Daniel said. "And thanks for being my best man."

"Whatever I can do to help," Jack said.

"I hope that you will enjoy your journey," Teal'c said, nodding to Sam and Daniel. "And your solitude as husband and wife."

"Thank you Teal'c," Daniel said. He stood back after Sam had said her goodbyes to their teammates and watched her climb up into the Cessna, and he said, "Goodbye, I hope you have some fun with Janet and Cassie while you're off Jack."

"Sure, we're going to Denver tomorrow with T here to check out the zoo," Jack said with a smile.

"That sounds great. Daniel?" Sam said, having put on her headset inside the plane.

"Better go, don't want to start out your honeymoon with your wife irritated with you," Jack said with a grin.

"Yeah, see you in a week Jack," Daniel said. "Bye Teal'c." And with that he walked around the plane and climbed into the seat at Sam's right. He put on a headset, though he didn't really need it to communicate with her. He sat back as she took off five minutes later, and tried to ignore the sensation of his stomach rolling.

'_Are you okay?_' Sam asked once she didn't have to focus on taking off.

'_Okay, I'm ready to get to California though_,' Daniel said, smiling at her. He was quiet then as Sam concentrated on getting them up to their flight level, and he looked out the windows at the ground below them.

'_Would you like to try and fly for a little?_' Sam asked him after they'd been traveling for a half hour.

'_Me? Um, no that's alright_,' Daniel said quickly, surprised.

'_No, try it_,' Sam said. '_All you have to do is hold it level_.'

'_Alright_,' Daniel said after a moment's hesitation. He grabbed the controls and felt Sam switch the power over to him. He gripped it tightly, nervous about making a mistake and losing control. He was concentrating so hard on holding onto the wheel that he nearly jumped when Sam placed her hand on his arm.

'_You're doing great_,' Sam said with a smile.

'_Thanks, c-could you take back the controls?_' Daniel asked, a little tense.

'_Sure_,' Sam said, easily taking them. She then felt guilty about asking him to fly, and she was about to speak when he beat her to it.

'_Don't worry, I didn't mind doing that_,' Daniel told her reassuringly. '_But I'll be a lot happier once we get to the airport_.'

Sam nodded and smiled, going back to piloting the plane for the rest of the flight, eager to get to their destination herself.

* * *

Later on that night, Daniel and Sam were sitting on the beach behind a bonfire that they had made. After landing at another small airport near the city of Sausalito, they'd driven to the house which stood close to the beach, about six miles south of Bodega Bay. There were no other homes around, which the two found a pleasant surprise. They had unpacked after admiring the two-story home, before getting a small dinner together and going down to the beach to eat watching the breaking waves.

"This has been a great day," Sam said with a sigh. "And it's so beautiful here."

"I know, I can see why Jack was worried about us wanting to stay," Daniel said with a smile as Sam scooted closer to him though she was already pressed against his side. "I just wish we could have gone to the island."

"Maybe we can have a second honeymoon," Sam said with a smile. She brushed her lips against Daniel's when he looked at her and then quickly pulled back. "When we go for the wedding ceremony in Philae."

"You have a good point," Daniel said. "And we are going to be there for at least a week."

"It should be fun," Sam said with a sigh, taking a sip of the water she had.

"I was wondering," Daniel said, remembering. "I noticed Janet talking to you a lot during the reception. Is anything wrong?"

"No, I guess she was worried that I might be sick or something. She thought I looked a little pale before there ceremony," Sam said with a shrug. "I probably should have worn more blush."

Daniel frowned slightly, sensing that she was lying, though she kept their empathic link closed on her end. He wanted to call her on it, but didn't want to risk making her mad. Instead he poked a stick of driftwood he had into the fire and sighed deeply.

"You okay?" Sam asked, raising her head from his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Daniel replied with a little smile. "Want to take a quick walk?" he asked. "The sun's almost down and the fire is nearly out."

"Sure," Sam said, standing up. She brushed the sand off her hands as Daniel stood next to her, and she grabbed his outstretched hand. Fingers entwined they walked down to the breaking waves, letting the water wash over their bare feet. Shivering slightly, she looked ahead of them at the sun that was nearly set, and she glanced at Daniel, surprised to see his eyes were on her. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing, it's just… perfect," Daniel replied simply. He hugged Sam tightly as she turned to him and pressed his cheek against the side of her head. He closed his eyes, letting the sound of the waves, the scent of her hair and the warmth of her body in his embrace taking everything over. He completely forgot about watching the sunset, and it wasn't until Sam moved in his arms to speak that he remembered.

"Hmm, looks like we missed it," Sam said, looking at the horizon where the sun had slipped below during their embrace.

"Sorry," Daniel said. He smiled slightly as Sam shook her head and pressed her cheek to his shoulder. This time he found himself having a different reaction to her, and he let her go. Before she could say anything, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.

Sam quickly responded, clutching tightly to Daniel's shirt as he soon wrapped his arms around her. At the same time she parted her lips before his tongue, and when they started to playfully duel against each other she slid her arms to his neck. She could feel him deepening the kiss a few seconds later and after that he pulled her close to his body. She let out a moan as she could feel that she wasn't the only one excited and she slowly pulled away from him. "I think," she said, catching her breath. "We should go back to the house," staring deep into his eyes and trying to convey to him what she wanted.

Daniel simply nodded and they walked up to the fire which was mostly embers. He covered it with sand and took Sam's hand as they walked up to the house. He didn't say anything as they went up to their room on the second floor, he was sensing excitement coming off of Sam and he knew that it was very likely she could feel his. As soon as they were in the room, he turned to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly, kissing her before she had a chance to really react.

Sam, responding almost instantly as she'd been expecting it, let the kiss go on for several seconds longer before she slowly pulled away from him. "I have something I need to do really quick," she said to his startled look. She brushed her lips to his and then slipped out of his arms before she went into the bathroom.

A little surprised, Daniel looked around the room for a moment before he noticed the bed. He turned down the sheets so he'd have something to do, and then glanced over at the closed bathroom door. Sighing slightly he went to the glass doors that led out onto a small balcony, watching the foam of the waves in the light of the full moon. As he was looking out, he heard the lock of the door and he waited a moment before he turned. The instant he saw her, his mouth dropped open a little, and he breathed, "Sam…"

Hoping she wasn't blushing, Sam went over to him. She was pleased to see his reaction though. She had decided to wear a piece of lingerie she had seen in a store while shopping for her wedding gown; an item that she had spotted and instantly thought of what Daniel's reaction would be seeing her in it which had been the deciding factor. She'd been nervous when she had bought it, but now with his eyes roaming her body she completely forgot about it. She had bought a corset that had been made with Chinese brocade. It had caught her attention as the color was close to the hue of the dress she'd worn on Simarka, but the embroidery was of phoenixes in muted colors. She had been hesitant about the birds, but again, it was forgotten in the wake of Daniel's reaction. Over that she was wearing a thin, black silk robe she'd bought with the corset. "It's okay?" she asked with a little smile as Daniel's eyes kept drifting down to her breasts before snapping back up, cheeks slightly red. She felt warmth spreading over her body as she placed her hands on his chest and he shuddered. And she had to control herself or else she would have thrown him on the bed, ripping his clothes off.

"You… yes," Daniel said, trying not to stammer. He swallowed hard and decided that he couldn't take it any longer. He moved quickly, picking her up in his arms and striding the few steps to the bed. In the middle he kissed her, pleased when she wrapped her arm around his neck and didn't let go as he laid her down. He groaned as she slid her nails over his back, and he pulled away. "I love you," he whispered, his voice deeper than normal.

"I love you," Sam said softly, nearly shaking from her desire. She was about to start unbuttoning his shirt when he moved first. She raised her body as he pulled the robe off her arms. She pressed a kiss to his lower lip as he did that, and moaned against his mouth when he kissed her firmly as his hands slid around her back. She took the opportunity then to start working on his shirt, hurriedly unbuttoning it before he pulled away from her to throw it to the floor.

Daniel reached behind her then and unzipped the corset. He was quick to discard it, but as Sam unzipped his pants then he made sure to tell her, '_You looked perfect in that. You look so beautiful, so amazing. I'm too lucky to be here_.'

Sam felt a little flushed as Daniel stood up. She could feel the sincerity of his compliment and she idly wondered if she would ever get used to him saying things like that. But it was quickly forgotten when he came back to her, carefully removing her panties and leaving her naked.

Unable to help himself, Daniel kissed her hungrily, pulling her against his bare chest. He groaned as she reached down for his boxers, almost tearing them apart to open them. His groan soon turned into a hiss when she took his arousal in her hand and he pulled away. He lay down on top of her then, settling in between her legs.

"Daniel… _d'ashar_," Sam whispered as he didn't move, only stared at her intently. He moved a second later and she gasped as his lips trailed down the side of her neck. When he reached the junction of it and her shoulder she let out a cry of pleasure, his mouth sucking gently. "Don't… please Daniel, make love to me," she begged him, somehow managing to pull him up to her so they were face to face.

As he kissed her roughly, Daniel finally allowed himself to sink into Sam's body, and he groaned hard as he did so. He pulled back a little to look into her eyes once they were coupled tightly. And he quickly saw that she seemed to be in a daze and he decided that it wouldn't hurt to start. So he began to thrust, moving slowly inside her. He let out another groan, the feeling of being deep inside her and moving in her incredibly arousing. Panting slightly after he'd gotten his rhythm set, he lowered his head to her chest.

Sam cried out Daniel's name as his lips surrounded her right nipple. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, her legs quickly doing the same. As he started to suckle at her she slid her hands up his shoulders and clasped the back of his neck. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head at the pleasure that suffused her entire body, and she hastily closed them. She had her mouth clamped tightly shut, trying not to open it as she knew if she did then she'd start screaming. But Daniel suddenly raised his head from her other breast and moved to her ear. She froze as his breath hit her skin, and then trembled as his tongue flicked out and ran along the lobe. "Scream my love," she heard him whisper, his voice husky with arousal. "I want to know I'm pleasing you. Scream Sam." And she let out a heavy cry of, "Oh god… Daniel!" as she pulled him down hard on top of her, her hips moving with his suddenly.

Gasping for air as he moved a little faster in response to her, Daniel bowed his head and pressed his lips to her right breast. He trailed down to her nipple and nuzzled it gently. He was a little surprised when she cried out, her pleasure obvious and he shuddered as it reached him a second later through their link that had been opened by them both as soon as he had entered her body. He continued kissing her breasts, suddenly realizing in the midst of that, that there was something different about them. He was a little confused, but Sam suddenly pulled him up to her lips and they kissed passionately, his tongue hungrily parting her lips. He wrapped one arm around her and the other came up to lightly cup her breast as they were busy literally devouring each other. He felt her writhe at his touch, and with that encouragement he began to gently caress her skin. He shook slightly again at how soft and smooth it was, and he pulled away from their kisses to groan her name heavily.

Sam held Daniel's head as he buried his face into her neck. She stroked his hair, not surprised to find it damp with sweat. She pressed her lips to his head, and then turned her mouth slightly to the side to let out a moan of joy. She could feel the pleasure building up in her body, and she could feel that it was the same with Daniel. '_I want… don't stop_,' she said almost deliriously to him.

'_I can't, won't_,' Daniel replied as he raised his head. An instant later he kissed her hard, surprised when he suddenly felt her tongue in his mouth. He recovered quickly, and rolled it around hers before he pulled back. At that moment he wrapped both arms around her and sat up on his knees. He was pleased when she reacted almost instantly settling on her knees; straddling his lap and they rocked against each other in perfect unison. The bed began to lightly creak under them, and their mouths were almost fused together, hands running over the other's body wildly. Daniel was unsure of how much longer they could last, but he was determined to make sure Sam received all the pleasure he could give her and he moved them again at that thought.

Sam found herself on her back again, and she quickly wrapped her left leg around his waist. She had been around to wrap both around him, but Daniel had stopped her and she let her other leg stay on the bed. She had her arms loose around his neck as he was above her, and she stared into his eyes as he gazed at her.

"D-do you love me?" Daniel asked, knowing that they were both poised to fall.

"Daniel, I… you know I do," Sam moaned as he reached in between them and stroked her breast gently. The touch was driving her insane, and though he hadn't wanted both her legs around him she raised the one on the bed, wrapping it firmly around him. And as she did that, she slid her hands down from his shoulders, running them over his bare chest.

"Don't hold back," Daniel whispered into her ear as he lowered his body and she clung to him tightly. He kissed her neck and lightly bit on it, soon after starting to suck on a piece of her skin.

"I-I can't… oh… oh my god!" Sam screamed as the slight pain from his sucking quickly turned into pleasure and it was the last thing she could take. Throwing her head back she let out a scream of, "_Daniel!_" that seemed to echo through the room as she was lost to her ecstasy.

Feeling Sam's pleasure at that moment, Daniel could do little but follow her over the edge. He yelled her name as her nails dug into his skin and they could feel each other's joy as it kept crossing between them through their link. He kept on thrusting, not wanting to stop. He had no idea how long they were like that, but suddenly he halted, trembling heavily as he panted for air. He was exhausted and was just barely able to keep from collapsing, instead resting his weight carefully on Sam. He felt her lips press against the top of his head, and he slid his arms underneath her back to hold her before he raised his head from where he had pressed it against her neck. "I love you Samantha," he whispered intently, pressing his forehead to hers, their slightly heavy breaths mixing together.

"I know Daniel," Sam replied, eyes fluttering slightly as he brushed her lips with his own. "I love you too." She could feel his smile against her lips and she sighed as he slowly got off of her. She waited for him to grab the sheets from the end of the bed and lay down before she laid next to him on her side, her arms wrapped tightly around his chest.

Looking down at her, Daniel gently began to stroke her body with one hand. He felt her completely relax against him and he kissed her forehead tenderly. As his fingers gently ran over her still slightly moist skin, he brushed against her breast and felt her tense for a moment. It quickly reminded him of what he'd noticed earlier as they were making love. "Sam," he started to say, not noticing that his hand was cupped over her breast. "Is there anything wrong?"

"What're you talking about?" Sam asked, raising her head. Her eyes widened slightly as he gently squeezed her breast and she had to bite her lip to hold back her reaction.

"Janet was asking you if you were okay today," Daniel said. "Are you-"

Sam felt a moment of panic as Daniel spoke and she had to stop him. So she kissed him hungrily, hoping that it would be enough.

Though Daniel was a little concerned, the passion Sam kissed him with convinced him that she wasn't sick. But as she pushed him and he rolled onto his back, he knew there was still something she wasn't telling him. He would have asked her to tell him, but he was unable to resist her as her hands ran over his body, stroking, and she was soon straddling him, lowering her body to his.

Initially, Sam had been hoping to distract Daniel from his line of thought, but only with a kiss. As they were doing that though, her body quickly recovered from their bout of lovemaking, and when she felt Daniel recuperating even faster than her she was eager for them to do it again. As she slowly moved atop his body as he clung to the small of her back she forgot about everything except the fact that he loved her and he was taking intense pleasure from her which she could easily feel.

Daniel and Sam spent a good part of the rest of the night making love. It took time for them to recover after each bout, but once they had one of them would initiate the next. There was no thought of sleeping, both of them eager to be together. They were so involved as it got closer to dawn that Daniel completely forgot about his concern over Sam. He took time to explore her body and noticed again there was something different that he was curious about, but she had a way of exciting him, distracting him wholly. They made love in every way they enjoyed, the past eight months allowing them to experiment and explore with one another, sometimes pleasuring the other. Soon their bodies couldn't recover and they laid down to sleep, finally conceding that they had to or else they wouldn't be able to move from the bed at all the next day. Sharing a deep kiss, Sam lay in Daniel's arms and they held tightly to each other after sharing, 'I love yous' through their link. Their bodies peaceful and pressed close, they soon fell into a deep and contented slumber.

* * *

Coming awake slowly, Daniel blinked a few times before his eyes focused and he remembered where he was. As he recalled Sam he realized that the bed was cold next to him and he sat up suddenly. He saw her as soon as he did that, standing on the balcony in front of the bed. He got up and quickly put on a pair of sweatpants before walking out to her. "Hey," he said gently as he stepped up behind her, trying not to scare her. "Morning," he then whispered into her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Hmm, not quite," Sam said with a smile as the sky in front of them was dark.

"Are you okay?" Daniel asked. When she nodded he then said, "Are you warm?"

"Yes," Sam said with a little laugh. When she'd woken up ten minutes earlier she had dressed and put on Daniel's robe she had packed. She wore it so much that it was in effect hers though it was large on her. She sighed as she turned and faced him, his arms wrapping around her firmly, his hands resting on the small of her back, warming her up even more. "I couldn't go back to sleep," she said softly as the sky above them began to lighten slightly. "I was going to watch the sunrise but forgot we're facing west."

"That's alright," Daniel said, leaning down and kissing her temple softly. He then moved down to her lips and together they shared a soft, tender kiss before he slowly pulled away. "Come on," he whispered as they brushed their lips together. "Let's get some more sleep before we decide what we're going to do later today."

Nodding, Sam let him lead her back inside the room, closing the door behind him. She hurried ahead of him and sat down on the very edge of the bed.

"What is it?" Daniel asked, suddenly sensing nervousness coming from her as he sat down next to her.

Taking a deep breath, Sam untied the robe and took his hand. As he watched her with a mix of concern and confusion she laid his palm on her abdomen. Looking up into his eyes she whispered emotionally, "Daniel… I'm pregnant."

For a moment, Daniel thought that he'd misheard her, but an instant later he realized that he hadn't. Shock filled him, and then he smiled. "Oh god Sam," he whispered as he gathered her into his arms. He pulled back and looked into her eyes, seeing her joy. "You've… you've given me the most amazing gift," he said, tears in his eyes as he realized that between them was a tiny life that they had created. He laughed as the tears fell and he kissed her firmly before pulling back. "I love you, I love you so much," he whispered against her lips.

Sam was crying too as she and Daniel embraced tightly. She had been so worried about his reaction, but with his incredible delight that she could feel through their link she was relieved and could respond to him as he continued to kiss her. She was a little surprised as he pulled off the robe and carried her up to the bed before removing the pajamas she had on underneath. She didn't stop him, she helped him with his sweatpants and they were soon joined together. She gave a little moan as he started to thrust, that turning into a gasp as he moved slowly, carefully and she found tears of joy in her eyes once again as she and Daniel were soon embroiled in a passionate kiss.

When they had reached a climax of ecstasy and pure joy, Daniel was careful not to let his body rest on top of Sam. He carefully moved to lie on his side next to her, cheek resting on his propped up hand. Reaching down he gently laid his hand on her stomach, stroking it after a moment. "How far along are you?" he asked finally when he could speak.

"A month and a half," Sam said with a smile since she could again feel his delight. "I think we conceived pretty soon after we talked about having kids and I stopped using birth control. Which is amazing, I'm not that young anymore."

"Neither am I," Daniel quickly pointed out. "Does anyone else know?"

"No, just you and Janet," Sam said with another smile as Daniel's hand came to a rest, spanning over her abdomen. She reached up and placed her hand on top of his. "I only realized that I was pregnant, I mean I got suspicious a week ago. Janet isn't going to let me go through the 'gate for the first trimester, probably for the whole pregnancy actually."

Daniel frowned and opened his mouth to say something when she reached up and pressed her fingers to his mouth.

"We talked about this already Daniel," Sam said softly. "And I told you I don't mind staying behind for this. Especially for this."

Nodding, though he still felt bad that she wouldn't be able to go through the Stargate with them anymore, Daniel leaned down and kissed her tenderly. When they pulled apart he went down to her stomach, and gently pressed his cheek to it. Closing his eyes, a rush of emotion hit him and tears welled up as remembered that there was life just below his head. Turning he pressed a soft kiss to her abdomen and whispered softly as he stroked it, "I love you already, boy or girl. I love you and I can't wait to see you." He heard a soft intake of breath and looked up to see that Sam had tears in her eyes. "I love you," he said, going up to her then. They kissed deeply, Sam's arms around him tight as she quickly responded to him.

As their lips and tongues moved together, Sam was amazed at how happy she was. She'd thought that her joy at the wedding was the happiest she could be, but now with Daniel so glad about their child her delight topped what she'd felt at the wedding. When they pulled apart a good deal of time later, she smiled and running her fingers along his lower lip said, "I know you don't care what it is, but I want a little girl that has your eyes."

Smiling, Daniel reached in between them with one hand and let it rest on her stomach again. "I want that too," he confessed. "But I want her to look exactly like you." He kissed her softly as she blushed and he moved so they could lay down.

"I don't really feel like sleeping," Sam sighed as Daniel laid on his side next to her.

"Yeah, but I'm sure you could use the rest," Daniel replied, reaching up with one hand to brush some strands of hair that had fallen onto her forehead. He then reached down again to her abdomen, covering it with his hand and pulling her closer to him with his other arm that was around her.

"It's real," Sam said with a smile as she could sense what he was feeling. "In a few months or so you'll be able to see our child growing," pressing her hand over his for a moment. She turned onto her side then, facing him and said, "_Arist esi d'hk at aku mat'la eme b'hd_."

"_Esi ec mat eme en b'hd_," Daniel fervently replied, cupping her cheek with one hand. "_Ki aen tesba peir k'aro hmat esi aku at_."

Sam wrapped her arms tightly around Daniel, and she sighed deeply in satisfaction and joy as she felt it through their link. She tried to fight her rising exhaustion, but soon it became too much and she had to shake herself before she fell asleep.

"Oh god, sorry," Daniel said, a little angry that he hadn't made sure they went to sleep. He made sure she was comfortable laying on her side; she refused to lie on her back; before he moved down her body.

Sam looked on as Daniel kissed her abdomen before murmuring goodnight to their child. She smiled as he came up to her and they shared a kiss. "Love you," she sighed when they parted.

"Forever Sam," Daniel replied. He made sure she was covered well enough and he watched as she fell asleep. "I love you, both of you," he whispered before he allowed himself to nod off, briefly touching her stomach before he slid his arm across her hip.

The two slept, now knowing they were close to their dream. And though there was the Gou'ald to fight, at that moment everything was perfect. They had survived their encounter with the Ruler to realize that were both in love with each other. And they were now married with a child on the way. They were ready for the future as long as they faced it together and could help each other. They slept deeply, satisfied in every way and very content. Their bodies moved nearer until they were pressed close, and with their child in between them they unconsciously began their new life together. As teammates. As best friends. As husband and wife. And as soul mates.


End file.
